Lyrarakis White 2016

Lyrarakis White is made from 75% Muscat of Spina and 25% Vidiano.

Description: An aromatic white wine with an exciting, crispy mouthfeel, vinificated by combining indigenous and international grape varieties, which have perfectly acclimatized on our island.

Tasting Notes: Bright and lively pale yellow color. Mature aromas of grapefruit and stone fruit enhanced by a persistent presence of rose petals. Elegant and fine balanced with pleasant acidity and plushy finish.

Alcohol: 12% ABV
Acidity: 6.39 g/L
pH: 3.25 
RS: 1.02 g/L

Region: Alagni area - central Crete
Soil: Clay - loam
Pruning Technique: Cordon trained, spur pruned
Altitude: 480m above sea level
Irrigation: Not irrigated
Yield: 9tn/ha
Varieties: 75% Muscat of Spina and 25% Vidiano

Winemaking: Hand-harvested in the last week of August (exact harvest time defined by berry sensory assessment, to obtain the optimum taste and aromatic balance). Grapes are vinificated separately. After de-stemming, the almost uncrushed berries remain in the press under reductive conditions for about 8 to 10 hours. Blending was performed using tasting results, choosing the ones with the best characteristics of texture and freshness. Matured on fine lees for 3 months.

Food pairing: Sea food, Thai or spicy cuisine and a large variety of salads.

Review:

"Classy muscat aromatics with serious peach undertones and minerality on the nose. The palate displays refreshing lingering acidity ."

- 2018 Decanter World Wine Awards, 91 pts - SILVER MEDAL

The Lyrarakis Estate is a family winery which has been producing high quality wines since 1966 with a strong focus on rare local varieties and producing single variety wines.
The family is credited with the revival of two ancient Cretan varieties, Dafni and Plyto while a third “vineyard treasure”, the indigenous Melissaki, is recently added to the credits.
Surrounded by the idyllic setting of the vineyards and the Lassithi mountains we offer you the opportunity to enjoy nature and discover local varieties and wines distinguished by the uniqueness of their origin and heritage.

The founders of the Lyrarakis Estate decided 40 years ago to get actively involved with winemaking in their native land. The company now known as GEA (Alagni Agricultural Enterprises) was founded in 1966. The family has always used its privately owned vineyards. At that time, the dominant varieties included Vilana, Kotsifali and Mantilaria. After careful selection of the Vilana strain, the first organised planting of this particular variety was completed and served to supply the farmers of the region. But the family’s grape-growing did not stop there. In the late 1980s, there was an attempt to save two rare native varieties, Dafni and Plyto, from the Phylloxera blight. Efforts were ultimately successful as indicated by the wines of the same name first made available by the Lyrarakis company in the early 1990s.

The village of Alagni, from which the Lyrarakis family originated, is located in the heart of Heraklion Prefecture, in the most mountainous area of Crete’s Peza region with the extensive wine-producing tradition (stone-carved wine presses from the Venetian era are scattered throughout the region).

Today, the family vineyard is 15 hectares (37 acres) and produces seven single-variety wines from native grape varieties: The selection of products is rounded off with combined vinification of native and foreign varieties, the best-known of which include Kotsifali-Syrah and Cabernet-Merlot.