Douloufakis Dafnios White 2020
-
Wine &
Spirits
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Vidiano is an ancient Cretan variety which was fading into extinction before being revived by young winemakers like Nikolas and the Alexakis brothers. ‘Dafnios’ is the adjectival form of ‘Dafnes’ the home town and principal appellation of the family. (The name of the town itself is a reference to the laurel tree.)
Professional Ratings
-
Wine & Spirits
First released in 2005, Dafnios set the bar for vidiano in Crete. Vinified in stainless-steel tanks, the wine shows off the variety’s broad, satiny texture, and fills it in with lots of spiced, honeyed apple and orange flavors. The 2020 has plenty of acidity and salinity to hold it firm and bring it to a clean close.
Other Vintages
2021-
James
Suckling
-
Wine &
Spirits
-
Robert
Parker
Douloufakis Winery is widely recognized in Greece for its excellence in traditional winemaking -- with a focus on the future.
In 1930, Dimitris Douloufakis became one of the first winemakers in Crete to produce wines professionally in his traditional, old winery. A consistent award winner, Dimitris’s grandson, Nikolas, now runs the winery carrying on his grandfather’s traditional practices, but with modern equipment in a new facility.
The privately owned vineyards are certified 100% organic and span over 70 acres reaching 1,800 feet elevation in Dafnes, a village close to Iraklio. This region has a long history in viticulture and also has been established as a Protected Designation of Origin for Liatiko wines. In addition to the natural choice of Liatiko, Nikolas grows other indigenous varieties such as Kotsifali, Vilana, Vidiano, along with other international varieties such as Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay.
There are hundreds of white grape varieties grown throughout the world. Some are indigenous specialties capable of producing excellent single varietal wines. Each has its own distinct viticultural characteristics, as well as aroma and flavor profiles.
As one of Greece’s largest island’s, its wines enjoyed high glory during the Middle Ages. Today Crete is full of ambitious winemakers with the city of Heraklion as its viticultural hub.