Muses Estate, 'A.MUSE' Rosé, Valley of the Muses

Delicate salmon-pink in colour, this refreshing and perfumed rosé is full of elegant gooseberry and strawberry aromas, typical of the native Mouhtaro variety.

Producer Note

His passion for wine and the millennia-old winemaking traditions of his homeland, led Nikolaos Zaharias to create a small winery in 1946 in Askri, in Central Greece, fulfilling his life-long dream. In 1967, his son, Athanasios Zaharias, entered the family business and brought with him dynamic and forward-thinking ideas, and gradually they transformed the small artisanal winery into a modern winery. In 2005, the year when ‘Muses Estate’ was created, it was time for the third generation Nikos, Stelios and Panayiotis, to take their place in the family business. Their skills, scientific knowledge and youthful ideas, combined with the family tradition and experience further enriched Muses Estate. From their vines grown on the slopes of the Valley of the Muses, at the foot of Mount Helicon, they aim to produce wines that are in perfect harmony with the ecosystem, and are representative of the historic terroir, as well as the family itself. They succeed: their exquisite wines are vibrant with mountain freshness that truly evoke the senses.

Vineyard

The vines are grown on the slopes of the Valley of the Muses at the foot of Mt. Helicon, at an altitude of between 500 and 570 metres and a gradient of between 3% and 7%. The Mouhtaro vine is a rare native variety, which is found exclusively in the Valley of the Muses. Rescued by Nicolaos and Athanasios Zaharias, the variety is naturally low-yielding and produces concentrated wines with herbaceous and botanical notes. Grown in fertile soils, which are of a mixed composition ranging from sandy loam to clay loam and produce wines characterised by rich aromatics. The double Cordon Royat vines are densely planted, resulting in lower yields, they have a north to south orientation which helps the grapes reach optimal phenolic ripeness and sugar concentration. Cold air currents come down from Mount Helicon, cooling the vines and allowing the grapes to ripen slowly and retain acidity. Cultivated according to the principles of integrated agriculture and the grapes are hand-harvested.

Winemaking 

The grapes underwent cold skin-contact maceration for 10 hours at 8 °C in an oxygen-free environment. Co-fermentation took place of the Sauvignon Blanc and Mouhtaro at steady temperatures of 19°C, followed by maturation for one month. No oak influence to retain the characteristics of the rare Mouhtaro variety.

Tasting Note

Delicate salmon-pink in colour, this refreshing rosé is full of elegant gooseberry and strawberry aromas, typical of the native Mouhtaro variety. Deliciously light, fruity and thirst-quenching, with archetypally cool-climate fruit.

Grape

Sauvignon Blanc 85%, Mouhtaro 15%