Kanakaris Malagousia High Altitude Vines 2025
£14.75
The wine
Lifted Greek herbs, lemon and exotic fruits. The palate is richly textured.
Malagousia was effectively extinct by the 1970s, surviving as a few vines until the agronomist Vassilis Logothetis propagated it, and it has become one of the most admired white grapes in Greece. Aigialia rises steeply from the gulf to over 1,000 metres, making it one of the highest vineyard areas in Greece, and the combination of altitude and sea keeps acidity in a hot country.
The producer
Kanakaris
View all Kanakaris winesKanakaris is a family estate in Aigialeia, in the northwestern Peloponnese, one of Greece's most distinctive wine regions. Founded by Michalis Kanakaris in 1979 and now run by his grandsons Stefanos and Michalis, it champions the indigenous grapes of these mountains. High elevation and the cooling influence of the Corinthian Gulf shape a growing environment unlike anywhere else in the area.
The estate farms fifty five hectares planted between 450 and 1,150 metres above sea level, on steep, sandy clay slopes dotted with olive groves and citrus trees. Capturing a true sense of place is the guiding philosophy. Alongside the native Roditis, Sideritis and Mavro Kalavrytino, the brothers grow Malagousia, Moschofilero and Agiorgitiko, all hand harvested and vinified in a modern cellar.
The NOTOS range, named for the Greek word for south, offers fresh, expressive everyday wines, from crisp Roditis to a bright, modern Retsina co fermented with a touch of pine resin. Higher up, the estate's Malagousia from vines above a thousand metres is botanical and perfumed, while the oak aged Agiorgitiko, sourced from Nemea, is deep and velvety.
Kanakaris's wines are fresh, characterful and rooted firmly in their mountain home. They show just how thrilling Greek varieties can be in the right hands. This is authentic Peloponnese wine of real charm and value.
