Greece

With no website or social media presence – nor even a physical signpost to the winery – Domaine Economou is a hidden Cretan gem on the remote, sparsely inhabited Ziros Plateau, one of the most southerly wine regions in Europe.Giannis Economou spent his youth studying and working in Germany, Bordeaux and Piedmont, with stints at Château Margaux, Ceretto and Scavino. In the mid-Nineties he returned to eastern Crete and expanded his family's holdings from 3ha of own-rooted, pre-phylloxera vines to almost 20ha of native varieties including Liatiko, Mandilari, Vilana and Thrapsathiri.Giannis experiments with dozens of wines each vintage, all harvested, extracted or aged in different ways. His garagiste winery is crammed with barrels and tanks in all shapes and formats, some kept outside all year, others moved to various outbuildings. An uncompromising perfectionist, he assembles a final blend from one or more varieties to be bottled and released when ready – often after many years.The reds combine the power and structure of Bordeaux with the finesse and elegance of Barolo and can evoke mature Rioja or Greek-accented Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The whites vary from rich and oxidative in style – echoing the great whites from López de Heredia – to focused and mineral, akin to fine Alsatian Riesling.It may have taken decades for Giannis to start getting the credit he deserves, but he has truly rewired perceptions of what can be achieved with Cretan varieties.

Economou

Wines

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