Remembering Why I Like Moschofilero
I don’t drink a lot of Moschofilero when I’m in Greece. But every time I do, I chide myself all over again for neglecting such a great variety.
While one generally finds white wines made with Moschofilero, it is in fact a pink-skinned grape. Grown mainly on Greece’s Peloponnese peninsula, this aromatic grape has a floral and grapey character often compared to Traminer and Muscat grapes. According to Yiannis Karakasis MW, Moschofilero has:
“…an intense, heady aroma of rose petals, jasmine, lemon blossom, orange zest, pungent spice, and even some minerality. The spicy elements take 2-3 years following the harvest to develop. The wines are crisp, light-bodied and fresh with relatively low alcohol. Apart from the dry whites, it also produces interesting sparkling wines and, increasingly lately, rosé wines.”
While it resembles the Traminer and Muscat grapes in aroma profile, it does not belong to either grape family. In fact, two opposing theories debate Moschofilero’s background. One posits that Moschofilero is but one mutation from the Peloponnese “Fileri” family. According to Wine Searcher, the -filero suffix lends itself to many varieties grown in the area that have a similar DNA makeup to Moschofilero. The other theory holds that these are two separate varieties.
Regardless of the grape family, the resulting wines are lovely! Most Moschofilero is bottled under the Mantinia PDO which requires at least 85% Moschofilero.
I absolutely know I’ve had more than three Moschofileros! But apparently these were the only notes I could find among my jumble of tasting books. Limited, but I think they provide a nice overview.
Domaine Skouras Pórtes Moschofilero
From PGI Arcadia, Domaine Skouras‘s Moschofilero shows a starbright platinum. While we call Moschofilero wines “white” they often have a grey tinge to them due to the grape’s pink skins. This wine fermented in stainless steel vats with just a short amount of skin contact (about four hours) so I’m rather surprised by the paleness of the color. No malolactic conversion but a short stint ageing on the fine lees.
Such a pretty nose with the intense perfume from both flowers and fruit. Melon and tropical fruit mingle with white peaches decorated with rose petals and honeysuckle. Medium-bodied with rounded acidity and low alcohol (12%). Bartlett pear, juicy peaches, honeysuckle, and a Meyer lemon finish. Very elegant.
Domaine Boutari Moschofilero
Not the prettiest label ever, but Domaine Boutair’s Moschofilero label cannot help but make wine geeks happy! I love all soil and climate information they’ve included here. Grown in clayey-loamy sand under terra rossa top soils in the Mantinia PDO, this is a more delicate expression of Moschofilero. Lighter in body with 11.5% abv and a pale, off-peach color.
Fruit and flowers make up the nose here as well but, unlike he intense, almost bombastic nose from the Skouras, the Boutari wine has a shier character. More citrus than tropical with lemon blossoms and citrus over a peachy-melon core. Fresh and easy, the flavors here echo the nose pretty faithfully.
Greatest Moschofilero ever? No. But charming aperitif or a nice wine to sip on an early afternoon? Indubitably.
Ktima Tselepos Moschofilero
Of the three here, the Ktima Tselepos Moschofilero is my favorite. This one has made its way home with me several times.
Also from the Mantinia PDO, these vines grow at 680 meters in gravelly clay and loamy soils. Cold fermentation in stainless steel vats with a short time spent on the fine lees. No skin contact for this one but the light coppery-straw color (which nicely matches the metallic tones on the label!) hint at the grape’s color.
I think you will not be surprised when I say the aromas here were richly fruity and floral! Ripe peaches, tropical fruits, and white flowers with a splash of lemon freshness that kept the bouquet from being cloying. Medium-bodied with 12.5% abv, the wine felt zesty and alive on the tongue. While it had all those lovely hallmark aromatics, it also had a lot more zip than other Moschofileros I’ve tried. Layers of stone fruit and citrus with lemon peel and sea spray detail.
Interested in learning more about this variety? I suggest heading over the Yiannis Karaksis MW’s website and his excellent page about Moschofilero.