Have you ever sipped on a wine and felt like you were transported to a different place? It’s amazing how just knowing where a wine comes from can give you that holiday feeling, even if you’re not actually on vacation. You can picture yourself lounging in the sun, taking in the gorgeous scenery, wandering around quaint streets, meeting locals, and indulging in delicious food and wine. Trust me, I know the feeling! That’s why I’m thrilled to introduce you to the wonderful world of Cretan wines straight from the Greek island of Crete. Thanks to the kind folks at DeliKreta.nl, I was lucky enough to try some amazing wines (spoiler alert!). A huge shoutout to DeliKreta for sending me those bottles! So, sit back, relax and join me on this adventure as I tell you all about it.
The People Behind DeliKreta
DeliKreta was founded by Boas and Lodewijk, fuelled by their mutual passion for quality food and drink and their admiration for the beautiful island of Crete. Boas has been visiting Crete for over 30 years, as his family owns a house there. When Lodewijk joined him for a visit in the summer of 2019, he was instantly captivated by the island and its superb products, which led to an easy decision. They are committed to meticulously selecting only the finest products from this remarkable island and introducing them to their family, friends, and everyone in the Netherlands to share Crete’s finest delicacies.
My tasting notes of the wines
The great team at DeliKreta sent me three exceptional white wines, one of which is naturally made. If you’ve been following me, you know I’m a big fan of natural wines! To spoil the surprise, all the wines are outstanding in quality and well worth a try. And, as you know, if I’m not enthusiastic about a wine, I won’t hesitate to tell you. Now, let’s get started.
Theros – Plyto, Thrapsathiri (93/100)
Fresh, minimal and abstract are perfect words to describe this wine. The wine is made with two indigenous varieties, Plyto and Thrapsathiri. It is vinified in small-volume stainless steel and concrete tanks to capture the distinct characteristics of these two varieties.
The wine is medium lemon yellow and clear. It has medium-intensity aromas featuring floral, apple blossom, wet stone, apple, peach, yeast, and cheese. The taste is dry, with high acidity and medium alcohol. Its medium(+) body offers flavors of apple, peach, rosemary, thyme, laurel, and a floral hint with spices like cinnamon and cardamom. The wine’s distinct feature is its strong minerality and saltiness, which gives a sense of the sea. It has a long finish and evolves as it cools and breathes in the glass.
More information and order this wine yourself: https://www.delikreta.nl/collections/kreta-wijnen/products/theros-dry-white-wine-plyto-thrapsathiri
Mikros Taraxias – Little Troublemaker, Vidiano (92/100)
Words like lovely, surprising, and structured come to mind when describing this wine. It’s a natural wine made from the Vidiano grape, wild fermented, unrefined, and unfiltered, which gives it a cloudy and wild appearance.
The wine has a cloudy yellow to amber color. On the nose, it’s full-bodied and intense with notes of lemon, lime zest, bergamot, nectarine, dried peach, dried apricot, floral notes, acacia, fresh green herbs, dried rosemary, and a touch of hazelnuts, almond, and marzipan. The palate reveals a surprising structure thanks to its four days of skin contact, which also imparts some tannins. The taste is dry, intense of fresh and dried fruit, lemon, lime, bergamot, peach, balsamic, and hazelnuts are complemented by medium (+) acidity, low tannins, a full body, medium alcohol, and a long finish. This wine is enjoyable on its own, but it pairs even better with food, especially dishes with dried green herbs and garlic.
More information and order this wine yourself: https://www.delikreta.nl/products/little-trouble-maker-vidiano-natural-wine
Douloufakis – Aspros Lagos 2022 (90/100)
Familiar yet unknown, that’s how I would describe this wine. The initial aromas remind me of Sauvignon Blanc, with hints of Pinot Gris and oaked Chardonnay. However, this wine is none of those. It’s made with Vidiano, the same grape as the little troublemaker in the previous review.
The wine is medium-intense lemon-yellow. The medium-intensity aroma mixes green apple, ripe red apple, pear, peach, nectarine, melon, lemon, lime, flowers, wet stone, acacia, vanilla, and dried herbs. The dry palate is full-bodied, with intense flavors of apple, citrus, peach, vanilla, acacia, and apple blossom. It has medium (+) acidity, medium alcohol, and a medium finish.
You have some structure of 5 months of aging in oak that gives this wine the perfect touch. Its familiar yet distinct presence makes it very appealing and attractive. It’s likely to be loved by many people and is perfect to enjoy with snacks.
More information and order this wine yourself: https://www.delikreta.nl/products/douloufakis-aspros-lagos-white
Conclusion
All the wines I tried were outstanding. I enjoyed the feeling of the Cretan terroir: clay, limestone, sandy, and calcareous, and I felt like I was on a mini vacation. By sharing my personal story, I aim to provide insights beyond the bottle of wine, giving you an idea of what to expect when choosing a specific wine. I highly recommend wines from Crete. If you wish to order them, visit the team at DeliKreta, where you can also order other specialties from Crete.
A big thank you to Boas and Lodewijk for sending me these great bottles and introducing me to the fine wines of Crete!
Visit DeliKreta: www.delikreta.nl