Moinoterra "Vilana" Crete PGI '24

Crete possesses one of the oldest winemaking traditions in the world, with evidence of viticulture on the island stretching back thousands of years. Moinoterra is located in Archanes, just south of Heraklion, near the ancient Palace of Knossos and the archaeological site of Vathypetro, where a Minoan wine press dating back nearly 4,000 years was discovered. The name Moinoterra means “the land of Minos,” while also incorporating the Greek word for wine, oino.

Moinoterra is one of Crete’s newest wineries, founded in 2022 by Nikos Stathoglou, whose family comes from Archanes. Working with consulting winemakers Kyriakos Kynigopoulos and Grigoris Skopelitis, Nikos is focused on indigenous Cretan varieties, low yielding vineyards, and wines that clearly express this historic terroir. While the winery itself is new, its surroundings are among the most ancient viticultural landscapes in Europe.

Vilana is the most widely planted white grape on Crete, but it has rarely been given the same attention as Greece’s better known white varieties. When cropped at high yields on fertile land, it can produce simple wines, but vineyards at higher elevations, planted on poor soils and farmed for lower yields, reveal an entirely different side of the grape.

The fruit for this bottling comes from dry farmed vineyards around Archanes, including a site near the foot of Mount Juktas and the ancient ruins of Vathypetro. The vines grow on sloping clay loam soils at around 500 meters above sea level. Following a brief period of cold maceration, only the free run juice is fermented at controlled temperatures in stainless steel. The wine then remains in tank on its fine lees for approximately six months, building texture without sacrificing freshness. Production is tiny, totaling fewer than 4,000 bottles.

This is unquestionably one of the best white wines I have tasted this year. There are aromas of ripe lemon, pear, wild herbs, smoke, and a touch of honey, but what makes the wine so compelling is its combination of concentration, texture, and energy. The palate is broad and creamy without ever feeling heavy, finishing with bright acidity and a long, distinctly mineral character. Drink it now with a whole grilled fish dressed simply with lemon and herbs, or follow its development over the next several years.