Syrah/Kotsifali

From the Heraklion region of Crete, this wine is a blend of 40% Syrah and 60% Kotsifali, at altitudes of 400-700m. The microclimate here is marked by cold winters and hot summers and made milder by the presence of northwesterly winds coming from the Aegean Sea. This type of climate is ideal for the production of extremely fine wines with rich aromas. The soil is sandy clay loam, rich in calcium, on medium slopes, mainly facing northwest. Cultivation interventions focus on two directions: increase of the useful leaf area, where necessary, and short but frequent watering during the ripening stage, if needed, to avoid dehydration. Apart from the intense expression of the characteristic aromas of the varieties, our goal here is to present full phenolic maturity. Grapes are hand-picked in the morning hours, from 6.00 to 12.00, to avoid high temperatures.  The wines are aged in 100% new French (Kotsifali) and American (Syrah) oak barrels for about 12 months, and the final blend is then bottled