The estate
Location
A reverential vineyard, right next to the city of Heraklion. Scalarea Estate is located in Skalani, a few kilometres outside the city centre of Heraklion and just 4 kilometres from the archaeological site of Knossos.
Vineyards
The presence of Boutari in Crete and its involvement with the Cretan vineyard began in 1990 with the planting of the privately owned Boutari vineyard in Skalani, which is today called Scalarea Estate. The name that was given to the place “Fantaxometocho” was taken by the legend that was created in order to protect the domain from pirates. In Greek, “Fantaxometocho” means “the haunted domain”.
The main objective of the Boutari Company was to set the foundations for further promotion of Cretan wine worldwide, through the production of high quality wines. In a region that was famous for its ecosystem and its tradition in viticulture, Boutari managed to enhance the potential of local varieties and made Cretan vineyards known to the broader public, through major distinctions.
The estate covers an area of 6,6 hectares and stretches on the north side of a low hill, a location protecting the vines from the warm southern winds of the Libyan Sea, while allowing the cool, beneficial sea breezes “meltemia” of the Cretan sea.
Varieties
The R&D department has carried out organized research with successful results into the potential of Greek varieties of grape, as well as into the capacity of foreign varieties to adapt to the Greek climate and eventually to be blended with native ones. The estate produces two white wines, the Scalarea White and Fantaxometocho and two reds, the Scalarea Red and a dessert wine, called Iouliatiko.
In 2015, an ambitious replanting project was completed, aiming to create a vineyard with a very high-quality potential, that would highlight the dynamics of the Cretan soil. The estate is a gifted vineyard, with great natural balance and all the aspects that compose the right terroir.
The vineyard includes both international and local varieties, since Chardonnay and Syrah, Vidiano, Malvasia Aromatica, Asyrtiko, Kotsifali and Moschato Spinas among others.
Additionally the vineyard was used in the past as an “experimental vineyard” since many varieties such as Mavrotragano, Assyrtiko, Aidani, were first grown in a small part of it, to observe their acclimatization in the area and to test the end product.
