The Liatiko variety from Crete, Greece: Terroir, wines, and experiences

In my Pandemic-era InstaLive Chat with Yiannis Karakasis MW, he asserted that "Greek wine cannot become mainstream if we cannot expand the discussion beyond Santorini to other terroirs, other varieties." One of the candidate terroirs that he identified was Crete for the Vidiano (for whites) and Liatiko (for reds) varieties. 

I describe the Liatiko variety, and its terroirs, herein.

According to winesofgreece.org, the Liatiko variety -- which dates back to 3rd or 2nd Century BC -- can produce very fine dry red wines but "reaches its apogee in its sweet versions." The berries are thin-skinned and produce wines with low-color intensity, low acidity, and high levels of tannin.

Liatiko (Source: winesofgreece.org)

A total of 400 ha of Liatiko are planted across the island, primarily on the slopes of the southern and eastern coastlines. The variety is resistant to drought and hot weather and prefers soils rich in clay, lime, and sand. While planted across the island, the best wines are found in Heraklion (PDO Dafnes) and Lasithi (PDO Sithia). The chart below illustrates the terroirs associated with Liatiko.

Liatiko Wines

As previously indicated, Liatiko is utilized in the production of both dry and sweet wines. The dry wines are "intense, with rich, ripe red fruit and sweet spices" on the nose and high levels of alcohol and low levels of soft tannins on the palate. The sweet wines are even more intense with concentrated candied fruit notes and a rich, dense palate and higher levels of acidity. Long barrel aging is a must, with the dry wines requiring at least 5 years. While most red sweet wines are fortified with alcohol during the fermentation, Liatiko sweet wines are made with sun-dried grapes.

The Crete wines with Liatiko content are illustrated in the chart below.

Liatiko Experiences

I have tasted a few Liatiko wines, all, with one exception, being from the Sitia producer Economou. I recount those experiences in the following.

Fredrick Wildman and Son NYC Greek Wine Portfolio Launch

My earliest encounter with the Liatiko grape was in February of 2012 when Markus Stolz (@elloinos) brought a number of Greek producers and wines to New York City to launch the Fredrick Wildman and Sons Greek Wine portfolio. One of the winemakers who accompanied Markus was Yiannis Economou of Domaine Economou and he brought two Sitia VQPRD wines along with him, one 80% Liatiko and 20% Mandilaria, the other 100% Liatiko.

I was particularly impressed with the story and storied wines of Domaine Economou. I had extended conversations with Yiannis and he was highly enthusiastic about his product as well as the opportunity that being a part of this launch provided. He particularly impressed me with his dedication to his principles of production and the aging of his wines; his wines reflect those principles. 

The figure below provides some background on the estate and its operating environment.

Fourth Anniversary Winelovers Reunion in Athens

I encountered the Economou wine again when I was in Athens for the 4th Anniversary Winelovers Reunion in February 2016. The 2006 was served as a part of a dinner we were having at Vintage Wine Bar and Bistro but the owner, Panos Kyriazis, mentioned to me that the recently released 1999 was even better. That sounded like a dare so I bit and purchased a bottle. It was good. So good that I went back the following evening in order to taste this wine again. Once I got back to the US, I sought out the wine and stocked both the 2006 and the 1999 in my cellar.

Greek Wine Tasting in Orlando, FL

This tasting featured flights of Greek wines from different regions and producers. I solicited feedback from participants and used their voices to report on the tasting. The panelists utilized thusly were:

• John Siudut, Proprietor, Vintage Vino
• Andres Montoya, Proprietor, The Wine Barn
• Jill Kathyrn Davis, Former Head Sommelier Capa Grill at the Four Seasons and Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse
• Ron Siegel, Collector
• Juan Valencia, Assistant General Manager and Sommelier, Norman's at the Ritz Grande Lakes.

The 1999 and 2006 vintages were tasted for the Economou flight. The panelists shared my view that this producer is doing an excellent job and that the 1999 vintage was the better of the two.

John thought that this flight was surprising considering the release dates of the wines. He really enjoyed the brooding power of the 2006 and the distinct power and structure of the 1999 which matured in the glass and was the better wine. These wines reminded Jill of Valpolicella in that they had a raisinated note with high acid.

Juan found the 2006 to be slightly oxidative and raisinated up front. Sweet and sour cherries appeared on the palate shortly thereafter. Supple tannins. Andres saw this wine as having "warm scents of garrigue, smoke, tar, and rose petal," the latter of which could be associated with Nebbiolo from warmer sites. "In the mouth it shows lead pencil, smoked plum, anise and currants, which make it seem closer to Cabernet on the finish."

The Economou 1999, according to Andres, had a beautiful nose of violets, grilled herbs, and red plum (it reminded him of Nerello Mascalese), shows high acidity, and finishes with intensity. This vintage is showing very well. Juan: "Wow. Muscular for its age. Very well structured in terms of acid, and tannin. Fruit was dried and fresh simultaneously."

Swirlery Wine Bar

Earlier this month I went to a local watering hole named Swirlery and after drinking some Champagne, asked the owner Melissa, to find me something interesting to drink. She pulled out a bottle of the 2004 vintage of the Economou. I lit up. I tasted it and remembered why I loved this wine so much. I offered to buy everything that she had but, alas, I had.

K Restaurant Greek Wine Dinner

The third course was a Grilled Swordfish and Octopus dish accompanied by the 2015 Douloufakis Liatiko. The Douloufakis Liatiko showed tar, dark olives, and blue fruit on the nose. Light-bodied. Dark and red fruits. Savory. Mineral. Drying finish. Does not engage the full palate. It will benefit from some aging.

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In Part 2 of my Chat with Yiannis Karakasis, we discussed varieties and terroirs beyond Santorini. Yiannis identified four varieties that he saw as being capable of producing world-class wines: Agiorgitiko (within two to three years), Robolo, Mavrodaphne, and Liatiko. Liatiko, he said, can produce high-quality wines and you need to look no further than the wines of Economou for proof of that assertion.

Keep the wines from Liatiko on your radar then, and snap up the ones from Economou -- if you can find them. According to Joyce Ghosn, one of my Facebook compatriots, responding to one of my posts on this producer and wine: "(In) 2019, prior to the masses discovering this now legendary Cretan winery, this wine retailed for a mere 20 euros. Stocks were removed from the market by their exclusive distributor and a few bottles were put back a few months later, retailing then at 50. Lucky were the people who could put their hands on this vintage then, let alone now. Today it has become the benchmark for all Liatiko originating fgrom Crete and is the reason people have started comparing this variety to Burgundy Pinot Noir." 

In that same comment chain Ian Cauble MS, co-founder of SommSelect and one of the stars of the original Somm, described the Economous as "Incredible wines" while Rico Thompson of Rick Thompson Wine commented that the estate was "crafting some very peculiar, long-aged wines."

Happy hunting.

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