The Moschofilero Grape

(Synonyms: Fileri, Fileri Mantinelas, Moschophilero, Moscofilero, Moscophilero.)

Background

Moschofilero is a white-wine grape originating in central Greece. (Its name being, like all Greek names in English, a transliteration from the Greek alphabet—Μοσχοφίλερο—there are various spellings current, as you can see in the Synonyms list above.)

Moschofilero wines come in two styles, depending largely on which area they were grown in. While almost all preferred bottlings come from grapes grown at the high altitudes (c. 2,200 feet average) of the Mantinia Plateau (also spelled Mantineia) in Arcadia, there is a distinction—though not a bright-line one—between grapes grown in the foothills and those grown on the plateau proper: foothills grapes tend to show higher acidity, crispness and citrus notes typify, while plateau-grown grapes tend to a more floral, aromatic style.

But, broadly speaking, Moschofilero wines are characterized by a profound set of aromas (floral, with rose most often mentioned), high acidity, and low alcohol. The wines are not typically oaked; whether oaking augments their character or conceals it is one of those sempiternal questions with no objective answer. They can, when well grown and vinified (and if the weather co-operates in a given year) make truly great world-class wines (and at their weakest are still usually pleasant and interesting).

Factoid: A 2012 Moschofilero was selected as one of the ten best wines in the world by wine journalists from the biggest newspapers in the U.S. that include pages on wine and taste; it got the maximum three stars. (It is not on our lists below, despite a modest price, because it is virtually unavailable in the U.S., at least per the wine search engines.)

Some Descriptions of Moschofilero Wines

Wikipedia
“Moschofilero (Greek Μοσχοφίλερο) is an aromatic white grape of Greek origins with a pink/purple skin and quite spicy flavor with good acidity. Grown throughout much of Greece and primarily in Peloponnese where it is traditionally used to make a dry and bold wine with much spice and perfume. It is characterized by a ‘rose garden’ bouquet.”
Wine Searcher
“Moschofilero is a pink-skinned grape variety grown mainly on Greece’s Peloponnese peninsula. Here, it is the main constituent in fresh, light Mantinia wines, whose aromatic character and floral, grapey flavors often bear comparisons to wines made from Traminer and Muscat…[T]he area’s high-altitude terroir does make for some interesting wines. The long, cool growing season and diurnal temperature variations can, in good vintages, produce aromatic wines with high levels of acidity and low alcohol. The best examples are often treated to lees stirring and barrel maturation…Wines made under the Mantinia PDO are required to contain at least 85 percent Moschofilero, although in practice many of these are [mono]varietal.”
Wine Enthusiast
“Pink-skinned and aromatic, the grape’s expression is wide-ranging. Still white, rosé and sparkling wines offer flavors that span from light and delicate, to ripe and fun-loving, to exotic and spicy. It’s often compared to Riesling, Traminer and Viognier, though its character is distinctively Greek. Moschofilero has existed in various iterations in Greece since ancient times, but its real popularity dates to the 1970s and ’80s, when forward-thinking Mantinia producers…drilled down into the behavior of the variety and began producing more elegant and terroir-driven expressions.…Even within Mantinia, the wines have diverse aromatic and flavor profiles. Higher acidity, crispness and citrus notes typify wines from the foothills, while the plateau yields a more floral, aromatic style. They’re all linked by the elegant balancing acidity that reflects the overall elevation and terroir.”
I Love Greek Wine
“Best expressions of Moschofilero come from the high altitude vineyards of Mantineia in the region of Arcadia. Moschofilero grapes give white wines with a characteristic light – almost grey – color as well as rose wines. Typical expressions of the variety give wines that are fresh and light-bodied, with low alcohol but high acidity. Wines from Moschofilero are almost always delicately aromatic, reminding lemony aromas, blossoms and an unmistakable aroma of rose. Preserving their delicate and unique aromatic character, wines from Moschofilero are almost always un-oaked. They are usually [mono]varietal.”
Wines of Greece
“Anyone in pursuit of a Greek grape variety which promises refreshment and enlivenment, all the while offering exoticism unprecedented in a Mediterranean country, should look no further than Moschofilero: it automatically springs to mind. Just as ‘moscho’, the first part of its name, promises this charismatic grape is the most aromatic one of the fileri grape family…The hub of the late-harvested Moschofilero variety is the Peloponnese and the Mantinia Plateau in particular…Moschofilero [is] generous with its gifts of delicate and exotic aromas laced with notes of lychees, rose petals, and lemon flowers [plus a] light body, titillating acidity, and piquant finish.”
World’s Best Wines
“This grape has an exotic and wild floral intensity, with its tangy crispness…The sunny and bright crispness, the tang of citrus zest, grapefruit and lemon and the ability of the grape to retain acidity makes it different and unique. The cool, long growing season and variations in the diurnal temperature can produce aromatic wines with low alcohol and high levels of acidity in good vintages. The ideal examples are often treated to barrel maturation and lees stirring.”
Greece and Grapes
“Moschofilero, is mainly grown in the Peloponnese and specifically in the area of Mantineia[,] which presents the most interesting version. Although it is a grayish-pink variety, it is vinified in such way as to produce white wines, with characteristic grayish or orange hues. Characterized by intense floral aromas, with notes of muscat that allude to frankincense, a Turkish and Greek delight called loukoumi, fresh herbs[,] and white fleshed fruits. It has vibrant aciditiy, aromatic and light mouth sense.”
Yiannis Karakasis, M.W.
“Moschofilero is a member of the old guard; one of the four original Greek wine Musketeers. The other three are Assyrtiko, Agiorgitiko[,] and Xinomavro. However, it is the variety that still has a long way to go before it achieves the reputation and acceptance it deserves in the international markets…almost all of the Moschofilero planted in Greece…is in the area of Mantinia in the Peloponnese…The classic style, as expressed by stainless steel cool fermentation, is reminiscent aromatically of a Gewürztraminer or a Muscat. Think of rose petals, lemon blossom, citrus fruit with piercing acidity and high levels of freshness. There is some experimentation with oak maturation…which I find very exciting, but the oak needs to be very gentle; just enough to add a nutty dimension and a creamier touch to the wine.”

Some Moschofileros to Try

For a Splurge

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This page was last modified on Saturday, 30 October 2021, at 11:26 pm Pacific Time.

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