Douloufakis 'Dafnios' Liatiko, 2017
£21.44
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Douloufakis 'Dafnios' Liatiko, 2017
£21.44
Description
Dafnios is Douloufakis' benchmark expression of Liatiko, Crete's most widely planted red grape, from organically farmed vineyards in the Dafnes appellation. Light brick-red in colour with a lifted, savoury-spice character, it shows dark cherry, plum and mace-like spice, with crisp acidity and soft tannins from ageing in a mix of large oak puncheons and smaller barriques.
At a glance
Grape
Liatiko
Region
Peloponnese
Vintage
2017
Sweetness
Dry
Body
Full Bodied
Denomination
PDO Dafnes
Grape
Liatiko
Liatiko is one of Crete's oldest grape varieties, historically the backbone of the island's famous sweet Malvasia wines exported by Venetian traders. Despite its dark skin it produces pale, garnet-coloured wines, light to medium in body with soft tannins, and rich aromas of red fruit, dried fruit and sweet spice — equally suited to elegant dry reds and rich, sun-dried sweet wines.
Producer
Douloufakis Winery was founded in 1930 by Dimitris Douloufakis in the village of Dafnes, south of Heraklion, and is now run by his grandson Nikos, who trained in oenology at Alba in Piedmont, Italy before returning to modernise the estate. The vineyards sit on limestone hillsides around Dafnes at roughly 350m, planted mainly with indigenous Cretan varieties — Liatiko and Vidiano form the backbone of the range, alongside Vilana, Kotsifali, Mandilari and a handful of international grapes. Nikos is widely credited with bringing Vidiano to international attention and has also worked to revive the near-extinct Tachtas variety.