The "Ancient" New World : Premier Club (November 2022)

Featured Premier Club Wines:

Iliana Malihin | 2021 "Young Vines" Vidiano | Rethymno, Crete, Greece

Instagram: @iliana_malihin_winery

A Greek Wine Club special feature by one of Greece’s youngest and progressive winemakers from Crete. Just shy of 30, Iliana Malihin has caught the attention of the international trade by producing one of the most natural expressions of the Cretan variety, Vidiano. Her winery hails from the mountain villages of Rethymno and she is elevating the reputation of the area by the potential the land has. Her Vidiano vines are farmed organically, and her wines are low-intervention production.

In her newly converted facility, the grapes are de-stemmed, and the juice is gently pressed into stainless steel tanks. The wine then ferments by natural yeasts found on the skins of Vidiano and matures on its lees, to the melodies of Cretan music, for six months. It is bottled unfined. In the glass, a highly vibrant and textured white wine emerges: You’ll discover high-toned notes of white peach, pear, apricot skin, chamomile, citrus leaf, lemon, melon peel, herbs, while finishing clean.

Iliana Malihin in her brand new project puts the mountain villages of Rethymno under the microscope and aims at a revival of the viticultural tradition of the area. The first duet of labels on the market concerns the mountain village of Melampes and the Vidiano variety. Melampes together with Fourfoura claim the credit of the origin of the most rising variety of the Cretan vineyard. At the bottom of the horizon the goal is the production of wines from different villages of Rethymnon based on the indigenous varieties that each village has.

The truth is that Rethymno, although it lags behind other prefectures of Crete, is a unique source of old forgotten mountain vineyards, between 600 and 900m altitude. Villages such as Melampes, Fourfouras, Vatos have an excellent collection of self-rooted, pre-drying vineyards on steep terraces, whose presence is almost breathtaking.

The cooperation with local viticulturists of the area aims at the revival of these old vineyards as well as the planting of new ones starring Vidiano and other varieties. The cultivation of dry vines is organic and is done manually. The winery follows the philosophy of minimal interventions, with native yeasts, low sulfites and avoidance of processes such as clarification, in order to highlight to the maximum the uniqueness of this unique terroir.

The first result of this great search is two wines from the Vidiano variety in very small productions. Vidiano old vines comes from a rare vineyard of 90-140 + years kept by the winegrowers of the area, while Vidiano young vines is a mixture of three different vineyards that are not older than 15 years.

On the one hand, the old vines express the charm of the maturity of the vineyard giving dense fruit, complexity and depth to the wine. On the other hand, the contrast of the young vines comes through the intensities, the liveliness and the expressiveness of the aromas of youth. Two wines from the same variety and the same region that can and are expressed so differently.

The project is both great and absolutely simple to conceive. The Greek vineyard has an incredible heritage that all you need to do is reach out and hug it. Such efforts by new producers bring Greek wine on a new trajectory ahead of its time.

Hendry Winery | 2019 Block 14 Malbec | Napa Valley, California

Instagram: @hendrywines

From the Winemaker: "Dense, glass-coating purple color with violet at the rim. Leather, fragrant fruit, tea and spice in the initial aromatic profile. With air, some of the more earthy elements recede, and brown sugar adds a sweet note to the complex mix. Lovely, soft entry, broad and even palate impression, with bittersweet and dried blueberry fruit. Moderately dense and structured. Gentle, fine-grained tannins. Bittersweet, baking-chocolate finish. Pair with simple grilled lamb chops, wild mushroom and beef stew, or crispy duck pancakes."

About: Today, the Hendry family has been continuously farming the ranch for more than 75 years. Portions of what is today the Hendry Ranch were some of the first vineyards planted in Napa. Pioneering winemakers Frederick and John Sigrist began planting in 1859 and soon had one of the most extensive vineyards in Napa. By 1880, the ranch was owned by George Barth and John Buhman, and all of the available land was planted to grapevines. For Napa, the planting boom of the late 1800’s was followed by an equally severe bust-- phylloxera.

The Hendry Vineyard is located on bench lands west of the town of Napa. The vines grow on thin, stony clay soil between 200 and 300 feet above sea level. Morning fog and strong afternoon breezes from San Pablo Bay moderate the climate. The 3.05 acres of Block 14 were planted in 1995. Fermented in barrel and aged 15 months in French oak barrels, approximately 40% of which were new. Deep, dark fruit, bay leaf and high-toned toast and cinnamon stick aromas on the nose. Dense mouthfeel, medium-full bodied, becoming silkier with air exposure, highlighting the deep blackberry fruit and dried fruit flavors. Robust tannins and a little acidic brightness in the long finish. Decanting will allow more of the soft floral, herbal and deep berry aromas to emerge. The tannins in this wine will make a terrific foil for richer cuts of beef and game, a garlicky rack of lamb, pot roasts and stews, maybe even a big juicy burger with sautéed mushrooms.

Premier Club $64/month

Two bottles each month for $64.95. Delight in a monthly delivery of artisan wines showcasing boutique producers from California and beyond, hand-selected by the experts at Mission Wines.