# Iliana Malihin Liatiko (2024)

- **Producer:** Iliana Malihin Winery
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Liatiko
- **Region:** Crete, Greece
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 15.0%
- **Average price:** €33
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 14–16 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, blackberry, plum, herbaceous, mint, cedar, cloves, dried fig, prune

## About this wine

Founded in 2019 by winemaker Iliana Malíhin at just 26 years old, the winery is located in Melambes in southern Rethymno, Crete. Her project focuses on reviving ancient, high-altitude heritage vineyards through minimal-intervention natural winemaking. Sourced from old ungrafted pre-phylloxera bush vines grown on steep terraced slopes, this wine showcases Liatiko, Crete's quintessential native red variety.

## Interesting facts

- Traditional Cretan music is played in the cellar during aging to harmonize the maturing wine.
- Sourced from ungrafted pre-phylloxera bush vines aged up to 50+ years at elevations up to 900m.
- The ancient vines survived devastating 2022 wildfires thanks to their deep pre-phylloxera root systems.

## Food pairing

Liatiko's pale color conceals rich Mediterranean warmth and 15% alcohol, making it ideal alongside herb-infused roasted meats, slow-simmered game ragùs, and savory tomato sauces. Its fine-grained tannins and fresh acidity balance rich fats while complementing wild Greek mountain herbs.

## Wine making process

Grapes are hand-harvested from ancient bush vines aged 40 to 50+ years. Fermentation takes place spontaneously using indigenous wild yeasts in stainless steel vats at 22°C with approximately 10% whole clusters. Maturation lasts 8 months, split evenly between stainless steel vats and 3rd-use oak barrels. The finished wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal total sulfites (20 mg/L).