Muses Estate, 'Clio, The White Muse', Valley of the Muses

A fresh, vibrant and aromatic blend with lifted notes of zesty lemon and green apple. Crisp, with a delicate texture and a juicy, mouth watering finish.

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 continental climate in the region experiences cool, wet winters and warm summers, however, proximity to the small Permisos River helps to temper extremes. The bush vines were planted in 1947 in fertile soils of a mixed composition ranging from sandy loam to clay loam, which produce wines characterised by rich aromatics. The vines 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, in order to protect the environment, the grapes are hand-harvested, in the cool of the early morning

Winemaking 

This wine is named after the Muse: Clio, the inspirational Goddess of History. Each variety was vinified separately; the grapes underwent cool skin contact lasting six hours at 8°C in an oxygen-free environment. Fermentation took place with selected yeasts at controlled temperatures of 18°C in stainless steel to retain the pure fruit flavours and the varietal characteristics. Maturation lasted for one month, the wines were then blended and aged for a further two months. Bottled young to fully express the vibrancy.

Tasting Note

A fresh, vibrant and aromatic blend with lifted notes of zesty lemon and green apple. Crisp, with a delicate texture and a juicy, mouth watering finish.

Grape

Assyrtiko 50%, Roditis 25%, Savatiano 25%