Discovering Crete’s Kotsifali
Crete is an amazing place to visit, for so many reasons, but especially so if you’re a wine enthusiast. The island is home to so many grape varieties, many not found elsewhere, not even the Greek mainland. One variety I learned about during my visit was the black grape, Kotsifali.
Kotsifali is a little tricky to work with in the vineyard. It is vigorous and highly productive and largely disease-resistant. All good things. But, it can be prone to downy mildew and botrytis. The main trick is to try to curb the grape’s naturally high alcohol tendency but still leave it on the vine long for sufficient time to develop color and tannins.
While more and more producers are experimenting with single variety wines, Kotsifali is traditionally used as a blending partner with Mandalari or other black grapes, both Greek and international. This has been because, while intensely aromatic, Kotsifali wines tend to be high in alcohol but low in color, tannins, and acidity, and it often needs a more robust variety to create balance.
Domaine Zacharioudakis Kotsifali, 2017
Before founding Domaine Zacharioudakis in 2009, winemaker Stelios Zacharioudakis was a journalist. Bit by the wine bug, he said that “his heart has been stolen by another love … The ‘gift of the gods to humans’ – the wine!” and so returned to the village Plouti in eastern Crete where his father and grandfather cultivated their land.
Produced under the PGI Heraklion designation, the Domaine Zacharioudakis Kotsifali is a 100% example, aged for six months in French oak. Clear ruby in the glass with rich notes of fruit, ras al hanut, dark honey, a touch of earthy mushroom. Silky and sensuous tannins enveloped the tongue with flavors of red and black cherries, sweet spice, and dried flowers. High alcohol (14.5%) and equally high acidity.
Dourakis Lihnos Cabernet Sauvignon Kotsifali, 2018
Dourakis Winery near Chania was founded by Andreas and Eleni Dourakis in the 1980s. At the time, most wine produced on the island was bulk wine created by co-ops, but despite the risk of starting a private winery on Crete at the time, Andreas went ahead and became one of the forefathers of quality wine there. Risk taking didn’t stop with the winery’s foundation! In 2019, Dourakis switched to green energy and became solar-powered as part of its belief in its responsibility to protect the environment. Combined with its organic viticulture, Dourakis is the greenest winery on Crete.
Dourakis creates two wines, both blends, with Kotsifali. The Lihnos blends it with Cabernet Sauvignon.
Jewel-bright with notes of dried rose petals strewn over ripe black cherries and perfumed blackberries. A silky texture with luscious raspberries and a ribbon of cedar. Medium-bodied with juicy acidity and 13% abv.
Dourakis Kudos Kotsifali Syrah, 2018
Next up, the Kudos Kotsifali Syrah blend. I was happy to learn that the blend favored the Kotsifali (70/30).
Redolent of cherry and black currant leaf decorated with pink peppercorn. Delicate, silky tannins, bright acidity, blackberry and bramble fruit cobbler slide into a coffee finish. Medium-bodied with 13% abv. Absolutely lovely. 
Silva Daskalakis Vorinos, 2016
On the other side of Crete in Heraklion, in the village of Siva, is Silva Daskalakis Wines. Through love and dedication, Irini Daskalaki Xenogiannaki built her winery from its foundation in 1998, to gold medal award-winning winery in just a few short years. The vineyards, farmed organically, sit at between 70 and 500 meters in calcareous-clayey soils.
The Vorinos, a PGI Crete wine, is a 50/50 blend of Kotsifali and Liatiko, matured for eight months in 225 liter French oak. An aromatic dry red wine bursting with aromas of black cherry, plum, raspberry, soft herbs, and vanilla. On the palate, mouth-filling and round with plush tannins and bold fruit flavors.
Domaine Gavalas Kotsifali, 2019
Another 100% Kotsifali, this time from Domaine Gavalas near Heraklion. The Gavalas family planted their first vineyards in 1906. Emmanuel Gavalas tread the grapes, fermented them in large stone vats, and transported it in leather flasks to sell to taverns and shops. He later settled in Vorias where he planted new vineyards, later tended by this son, grandson, and now great-grandson. In 2001, the Gavalas family converted to organic viticulture to ensure that yet more generations of their family, and others, could enjoy and reap the benefits from their land.
A PGI Crete, this 100% Kotsifali was fermented and aged entirely in stainless steel. Fruity and floral on the nose with aromas of blackcurrant, sour cherry, and violet followed by high acidity, soft tannins, and moderate alcohol (13.5%). Juicy fruits that taste as red as the wine’s brilliant color with a subtle undertone of soft Mediterranean herbs.