Iliana Malihin, Liatiko Rose, 2024

Iliana Malihin's rosé from Crete's indigenous Liatiko grape is a wine of striking personality. Deep salmon color signals extended skin contact and wild fermentation in her Melambes cellar. Layered with Mediterranean herbs, blood orange, oyster shell minerals, and bracing acidity, this rosé challenges the notion that the category is light or simple. It demands food and rewards patience.