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Great Mother Red

Great Mother Red - Stilianou Organic Winery - Kounavoi, Heraklion, Crete - Mandilari - Red Natural wine - Eklektikon

The most stubborn and tannic indigenous Cretan variety, Mandilari, in a flash-maceration vinification, named after Great Mother, the mother goddess of the ancient Minoans.

  • Grower: Stilianou
  • Vintage: 2018
  • Grapes: Mandilari 100%
  • Appellation: PGI Crete
  • Alcohol: 13%
  • Bottle: 750ml
  • Viticulture: Dry, Organic (certified)
  • Vinification: Straight forward natural vinification, with a flash 1-day maceration in inox, with a soft press and short aging on its lees, and bottling without filtration, fining, but a few sulfites at bottling.
  • Notes: Light red with nutty and forest fruit notes, and an unexpected sharp and salty palate.

Key Info

Viticulture

  • Dry, Organic (certified)
  • Climate: Mediterranean.
  • Soil: Limestone with some rock
  • Vine age: Planted between 1980 and 2006
  • Altitude: 380m
  • Slope: 12%
  • Planting density: 3,500 plants / ha
  • Yield: 2-3kg / plant
  • Irrigation: None
  • Spraying: None
  • Harvesting: Manual (20kg plastic crates)

Vinification

  • Maceration: Stainless steel (1 day)
  • Yeast: Ambient (spontaneous fermentation with no temperature control for 15 days)
  • Malolactic: Natural (completed)
  • Maturation: 5 months on its lees in stainless steel
  • Clarification: None
  • Filtration: None
  • Production: 2,800 lt
  • Alcohol: 13%
  • Acidity: 5.70 gr/l
  • RS: 0 gr/l
  • Total sulfites: 25 mg/l
  • Certification: Organic grapes
  • Bottle: 750ml

Winery

Giannis Stilianou and his teenage son, personally tend to their 3 hectares of organic vineyards, planted only with indigenous Cretan varieties. There is no irrigation or any kind of spraying. The vines are stressed under the hot, Cretan Sun, and then cooled off by the mountain breeze. This shows in the impressive concentration and intense aromatics of the artisanal Stilianou wines.

Region

Crete is the biggest island of Greece, and home to one of the most impressive ancient civilizations, the Minoan.

Heraklion, the fourth largest Greek city and largest city of Crete, is located in the center of the island. It is very picturesque and full of ancient ruins in and around it, spanning thousands of years and many different civilizations, including the Minoan, Byzantine, Venetian, and Arab.

South of Heraklion lies Knossos, the most famous ancient city of Minoan times, with the well preserved and famous homonymous palace, with its bright red pillars and wall art of the time.