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A-Grafo Malagousia

Roditis A-Grafo - Kontozisis Organic Vineyards - Karditsa, Greece - Natural wine - Orange Wine - USDA Organic - No Sulfites

Malagousia, the “Cinderella of Greek grapes”, in a rustic, zero-zero vinification.

  • Grower: Kontozisis Organic Vineyards
  • Vintage: 2019
  • Grapes: Malagousia 100%
  • Appellation: PGI Karditsa
  • Alcohol: 12%
  • Bottle: 750ml
  • Viticulture: Organic (certified)
  • Vinification: Extensive skin contact (25 days), whole cluster spontaneous fermentation with no temperature control or additions, bottled without clarification or filtration, and zero added sulfites.
  • Notes: Intensely floral and mineral, sharp and structured on the palate.

Key Info

Viticulture

  • Organic (certified)
  • Climate: Warm Mediterranean and humid microclimate.
  • Soil: Shallow to moderately deep soil on gentle slopes facing east, low in 
organic matter and calcium carbonate
  • Vine age: 20 years old
  • Altitude: 200m
  • Slope: 10%
  • Planting density: 4,000kg / ha
  • Yield: 1-1.5kg / plant
  • Irrigation: 1-2 times of drip irrigation
  • Spraying: Minimal copper and sulfur
  • Harvesting: Manual

Vinification

  • Maceration: 35 days in stainless steel (whole cluster / carbonic)
  • Press: None
  • Fermentation: Spontaneous fermentation with no temperature control.
  • Temperature: Natural (no control)
  • Malolactic: Natural (completed)
  • Maturation: 6 months in stainless steel with battonage on its lees
  • Clarification: None
  • Filtration: None
  • Production: 1,500 lt
  • Alcohol: 12%
  • Acidity: 5.50 gr/l
  • RS: 1.80 gr/l
  • Total sulfites: 0 mg/l
  • Certification: USDA Organic Wine, No Sulfites Added
  • Bottle: 750ml

Winery

Kontozisis has been practicing certified organic agriculture and organic vinification since 1991, one of the first to get such a certification in Greece. His long term commitment to organic practices shows his honest approach to sustainability. Andreas Kontozisis and his partner Aphrodite Tousia are working passionately with the area’s indigenous red grape, Limniona, among others, for which they have developed proprietary vineyard techniques to get as much concentration as possible from the variety’s large grapes. All grapes are hand harvested and pruned from the low-yield (28 hectoliters / ha) estate-owned vineyards of 11 ha. Kontozisis uses no press (only free run wines) and no commercial yeasts.

Region

Karditsa is a rural town in Thessaly, in the center of Greece. It is the bicycle capital of Greece, with many bicycle roads and many residents using them as their main transportation mean.

Its terroir is largely defined by the nearby Agrafa mountains, and the artificial Plastira lake. It is also in close proximity to the impressive Meteora rocks, which host the second most important cluster of monasteries in Greece.