Iliana Malíhin Liatiko Rosé 2024

Liatiko is one of Crete’s oldest surviving red varieties, with genetic research confirming it as a distinct traditional Cretan cultivar. Its name is generally associated with Iouliatiko, or “of July”, reflecting its notably early ripening. Historical references place Liatiko within Crete’s wine culture for centuries, including its use in the production of the celebrated Cretan wines traded throughout the Mediterranean during the Venetian period when Crete was under Venetian rule. The variety has relatively little colour and can accumulate substantial sugar while retaining a comparatively delicate structure, characteristics that have historically allowed it to produce both pale dry reds and concentrated sweet wines.

Iliana Malíhin founded her winery in Rethymno in 2019 and has concentrated much of her work on recovering old vineyards in the island’s mountainous interior. The 2022 fires destroyed more than 80% of the ancient vines with which she was working, although some subsequently regenerated from their deep-established root systems. This rosé was created in the aftermath of those fires and has remained part of the range. The 2024 is 100% Liatiko sourced from organically-farmed, dry-grown vineyards across several Rethymno villages, including Fourfouras, Monastiraki, Platania, Vatos and Spíli. It is a deliberately extracted rosé with mild tannin, fermented in stainless steel and matured on its lees for eight months.