Domaine Lyrarakis, Malvasia of Crete, Greece

A historic wine which enjoyed huge success for 300 years while Crete was ruled by Venice. The tradition was to blend together a number of native Cretan grapes rather than use a single varietal, and today the blend comprises the white cultivars Plyto, Dafni, Vidiano and Vilana.

Grapes are dried in the sun for 9 days to concentrate the sugars and the must, and after pressing the wine is then aged in new oak barrels for 12 months. You might expect the resultant wine, from such a warm climate, to be on the heavy side, but in fact the contrary is true; there is a high degree of lusciousness with rich, grapey, apricot-and -honey aromas and plenty of weight on the palate, but there is also a real sense of elegance and freshness to the wine.

Serve it with creamy fruit desserts or simply with ripe, stone fruit such as peaches and nectarines whilst sitting at an open-air table overlooking a Greek harbour.
Decanter World Wine Awards, 2012 - Gold Medal
Decanter World Wine Awards, 2012 - Regional Trophy (Best Greek Sweet wine )
International Wine and Spirits Competition, 2012 - Silver OutstandingDomaine Lyrarakis

Deep bright gold. Fireworks on the nose! Caramelised cashews and lemon peel and rich and deep. A herbal note that’s a bit like honeyed cedar and pine sugar, over a succulent mid palate of apricots and orange zest. Ambrosial sweetness. Lovely balance, truly delicious.
Jancis Robinson - jancisrobinson.com - April 2013

Blend of Plyto, Dafni, Vidiano and Vilana dried in the sun for 9 days. Bright orangey gold. Spiced, bitter orange and apricot. Lightly caramelised but there's that herbal character from the Dafni. Gorgeously rich, essence of stewed apricot with an underlying marked grapefruit freshness. Irresistible and beautifully balanced. Very persistent.
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com, July 2012


Sweet, dried-grape wine with lovely freshness and structure – and a bit of chew still. I’d love some restaurant to offer me this by the glass.
Jancis Robinson MW, jancisrobinson.com, May 2012

This 50cl of non-vintage sweet wine comes in a tall elegant bottle, and whilst the name suggests otherwise, it is apparently a blend of Plyto, Dafni, Vidiano and Vilana grapes, dried in the sun for nine days and aged for one year in new oak barrels. The colour is a deep, burnished gold and the nose is an intriguing amalgam of glycerine and herbs, with fat lemony fruit and edges of caramelised orange or apricot.

On the palate that honey and glycerine character is there, and this does have a mellow, rich fruitiness, but it is medium-bodied rather than heavy, and the clarity of the citrus fruit and acidity is good. More honey and a touch of buttered toast fill out the finish, but the low alcohol (11.5% ABV) and core of acid keep it fresh.
(Tom Cannavan - www.wine-pages.com - Aug 2012)

Read the review:  Domaine Lyrarakis has led the wine revolution on the island of Crete