Dancing Forest 2024

Winemaker’s Notes
Retsina is a traditional Greek wine with a rich history. In ancient times, the high temperatures during harvest and fermentation often caused white wines to ferment at excessively high temperatures, resulting in unpleasant aromas. To counteract this, the Greeks began adding one kilogram of pine resin for every 1,000 liters of fermenting wine. This resin helped mask the undesirable aromas, imparting a pleasant scent reminiscent of pine trees. Today, the production of Retsina has evolved. Modern techniques use lower fermentation temperatures and less resin, allowing the pine aroma to subtly enhance the wine’s overall profile rather than overpowering it.

Vineyard
The Dancing Forest Retsina is crafted from three distinct vineyards, each contributing its unique characteristics to the blend. The first 30% of the Athiri component comes from a vineyard nestled on the slopes of a mountain, where ancient, ungrafted vines thrive in limestone-rich soil. Harvested early, this portion brings high acidity and a pronounced minerality to the wine.

The second 30% is sourced from a semi-mountainous vineyard with dark, well-draining stone soil. This addition imparts a more pronounced fruity profile to the blend. The final 40% comes from Assyrtiko, a revered variety in Rhodes. Known for its high acidity, Assyrtiko enhances the wine with both crisp acidity and earthy undertones. This vineyard, located beneath the towering Profítis Ilias Mountain and surrounded by forest, adds depth and complexity to the overall blend.

Production protocol of Dancing Forest
After harvesting the grapes in 20 kg baskets, we refrigerate them for 24 hours to lower their temperature, minimizing oxidation and preserving aromatic compounds. The following day, we destem the grapes and perform a cold soak by adding dry ice to the press. This process extracts more aromas from the skins and contributes to a fuller body and mouthfeel in the wine. We maintain the must at 5°C to encourage the separation of solids at the bottom of the tank. After two days, we transfer the clarified must to another tank and initiate fermentation with wild yeast. This step enhances the wine’s complexity and helps lower volatile acidity. Two days into fermentation, we switch to the primary yeast strain to ensure complete fermentation. One day later, we add 600 grams of pine resin to the fermenting wine to introduce unique aromatic characteristics. Upon fermentation’s completion, we add additional pine resin to further enhance volume and complexity of pine aromas.

The wine then ages on its lees for six months, with temperature control maintained between 10–12°C to preserve freshness and flavor. After aging, we transfer the clear wine to a new tank and lower the temperature for two weeks to stabilize tartaric acid. We then add bentonite to ensure protein stability. Following filtration, the wine is ready for bottling.

Organoleptic profile of Dancing Forest
The wine presents a lively acidity that dances gracefully on the palate, harmonizing beautifully with the rich sweetness of the alcohol. A subtle yet distinct pine aroma leads the olfactory experience, layered with earthy undertones and a bright citrusy freshness. The finish is long and persistent, revealing a pleasing minerality that lingers, inviting another sip.