The Dafní grape variety was saved from extinction by the Lyrarakis family, when it was planted in the “Psarades” family vineyard at 480 meter altitude in central Crete in the early '90s.
Its name derives from the laurel (bay leaf) plant, which is called “Dáfni” in Greek, as the wine produced resembles these aromas. A wine of bright yellow color with a distinctive herbal character of laurel and rosemary with citrus fruit aromas, a refreshing mouthfeel and an intense aromatic aſtertaste.
Salads with aromatic herbs, sea food, asparagus, white meat and if you can find them, Cretan pies!
"This is really distinctive with some mint and herb notes: it’s exotic and smells like a Mediterranean hillside in the summer. Very fresh and linear with lovely fruit, and a fine, tapering finish. Quite lovely."
- Wine Anorak (November 2020), 91 pts
"The 2019 Dafni Psarades is unoaked, nicely dry and comes in at 13.1% alcohol. The new labeling reflects the vineyard here. I'm told it's the same wine as before. That makes it a typically pungent Dafni with nuances of resin and herbs. (In the past, I discussed rosemary and green eucalyptus as well.) You'll like it or you won't. Aromatic and distinctive, this spicy white can be drunk on its own. With a difficult food pairing, though, you might find it provides a solution in the same way Gewürztraminer does in France. It has only average depth, but the crisp, lively finish is invigorating. The personality is not my personal choice, but this is certainly very nice this year in terms of structure and craftsmanship. Whether you like it or not will depend simply on personal taste. I found it rather invigorating this year and gravitated to it a bit more than I usually do. At a fairly nice price, it's well worth a try. - Mark Squires"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #249, June 2020), 89 pts
The Lyrarakis Estate is a family winery with a strong focus on rare local varieties and single variety wines.
When the company was founded in 1966, the dominant varieties included Vilana, ...
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