Roditis Barrique IGP Macedoine Ktima Ligas 2020

Roditis Barrique Ktima Ligas, superb natural wine from Greece, Roditis grape, unique flavours, rich, complex, full, lovely. The estate’s new special Cru Roditis was born out of the natural evolution of a wine reborn in an oak barrel. The 2013 Roditis went to sleep a little, becoming unusual in flavour and aroma, complex but lacking freshness. Ligas understanding of the wine led to put the remaining 300 litres into an oak barrel for about a year with the lees of the 2014 vintage and the result is a stunning wine of immense complexity and also freshness rediscovered. That wine showed perhaps more than any we have tried how a natural wine evolves and changes hugely in its lifespan. It also shows how a little oxygen can actually bring a wine back to life rather than send it to its death. It takes a great wine maker to achieve these feats. The 2020 continues the quality although this is not experimenting, he intends to carry on with the wine albeit in similarly tiny quantity. The extremely cool label is a picture of Melina Mercurie, former Greek actress and minister of culture.

Since ancient times, the region of Pella, situated in northern Greece, not far from the border with Macedonia was associated with wine making and described as the mother of wine, where vines abound.

Jason Ligas and his Sister Meli continue the work of their Father Thomas and have succeeded in turning the normally dull Roditis grape into something very special.  Thomas Ligas converted to natural farming in the 80s after following the ideas set out by renowned Japanese farmer and philosopher Masanobu Fukuoka (1913-2008).  Fukuoka's approach to agriculture was called, ‘do nothing'.  He was a Japanese researcher in plant pathology who subsequently became an experimental farmer and promoter of natural farming.  His philosophy has also been described as ‘Steiner without cow horns’ 

Thomas Ligas followed Fukuoka's teachings.  By reducing the yield of his grapes through natural farming, he was able to express the terroir and show the grapes potential.  The soils are loamy-sand with very good drainage.  The natural environment is expressed in Ligas' stunningly fresh and complex white wines.  The reds are pretty rare and only made in good years but are also wines to be savoured. The wines all carry a unique personality and expressive aroma which we have come to call 'The Ligas Nose!'