Μοσχάτος Λήμνου (Moschatos Limnou)

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The mean monthly sunshine hours on Limnos are high, at 227.8 hours, a fact that facilitates the complete ripening of the vines.
• Annual rainfall is relatively low, at 474 mm per year; however, the modest summer precipitation, combined with a high relative humidity of 71%, supplies the vine with the water it needs to develop.
• The soils are mostly volcanic, fine-grained, and deep, allowing the root system to penetrate to considerable depth so that the vine can become self-sufficient in meeting its water requirements.
• Vine cultivation begins at sea level and extends to approximately 300 metres, on soils that are slightly acidic, well-drained, and rich in mineral elements and potassium.
• The mean maximum temperature during July and August is 29°C and 28.2°C respectively, a fact that does not give rise to extreme heat-stress conditions.

• Muscat of Alexandria arrived on Limnos at the beginning of the twentieth century, brought by Egyptians, and was initially cultivated on a small scale; later, its cultivation gradually displaced the traditional red variety Limnio.
• In a 1947 survey, 7,000 stremma were planted with Limnio and 5,000 stremma with Muscat, whereas today the ratio has been reversed to 7,000 stremma of Muscat and only 400 stremma of Limnio.
• The vines are trained in a gobelet form at a density of approximately 350–400 plants per stremma, with short pruning to one or two buds, and without irrigation of the vineyards.
• Harvest begins in late August and is completed between early and mid-September, while 25–30% of total production comes from vineyards managed under certified organic farming methods.

• Muscat of Alexandria yields Moschatos Limnou PDO wines with a fruity bouquet, showing notes of apricot and mint, a fuller body relative to other Muscats, and a round presence on the palate.

• The potassium that is abundant in the volcanic soils of Limnos contributes to better grape ripening and to an increase in sugar content, resulting in the production of quality sweet wines.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in Greece

Sources

• National product specification (PDF) — ypaat
• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-GR-A1432
• Official trade body site — Agricultural Cooperative of Limnos (Limnos Wines)