Monemvasia Winery Tsimbidi Monemvasia Malvasia Vin Liastos Laconia 2012

The Monemvasia vineyard is situated just six miles from the sea at an altitude of 250 to 300 metres above sea level. The terrain here is rugged; the vines are grown on a sloped terrain in medium-textured schist and clay-loam soils with poor organic matter. The area benefits from high levels of sunshine; the Mediterranean climate delivers hot, dry summers and mild winters. The extremely dry summers often cause drought conditions from March to October, but the Meltemia winds and cooling breezes from the northeast enable the vines to endure the heat waves of August. The combination of poor soils and hot climate encourages the vine roots to penetrate deep into the soils, where they are nourished by minerals and soil water and, in turn, produce wines with complexity. The vines are grown following organic principles, with minimal intervention. The vines are linearly arranged in rows to achieve greater aeration, keeping the yields exceptionally low. Cultivation, including harvest, takes place by hand.