Greece

Iliana Malihin was completing a postgraduate degree in oenology and working at top Crete domaine Douloufakis when she spotted the potential in Rethymno's historically overlooked heritage vines. She established her own winery on Mount Vouvala in 2019 at the age of just 26.These steep schist terraces are home to rare ungrafted pre-phylloxera Vidiano, as well as other indigenous varieties Liatiko and Thrapsathiri. From an original group of five, Iliana now oversees more than thirty local growers across 10ha who work organically and to her exact specifications.At her newly converted cellar in Melambes, Iliana draws on techniques such as skin contact, extended lees ageing and élevage using different vessels to craft distinct expressions of Vidiano that crackle with energy and tension. She also makes a rich and creamy Thrapsathiri, as well as an unusually serious and ageworthy expression of Liatiko.Devastating wildfires tore through the region, destroying more than 80% of Malihin's vineyards in July 2022 – but Iliana is determined to rise from the ashes, and remains one of the most talked about young winemakers in Greece.

Iliana Malihin

Wines

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