Kyperounda Winery, Petritis Limassol

This producer has not only the highest winery in Europe situated at 1,140 metres, but also the highest vineyards at over 1,400 metres above sea level. Located at Kyperounda, in the Pitsilia area of the Troodos Mountain range, the Kyperounda Winery sits in an idyllic setting, with correspondingly spectacular views. The winery was designed to the specifications of experienced winemakers and uses gravity to produce wine in the gentlest possible way. Kyperounda Winery has been producing wine since 2003 and has already made quite a splash on the international stage.

The Xynisteri variety, pronounced (Sin-ees-ter-ee), is a native grape to the island. These indigenous grapes are grown on the southern slopes of the Troodos Mountains, in some of the highest vineyards in Europe. The plots sit on rocky terraces, where the soils are made up of sandy clay. Due to the altitude of the vineyards, Kyperounda invariably harvests approximately one month later than vineyards at half their elevation and the long hang time results in concentrated flavours in the fruit, while preserving refreshing acidity.

The gravity-fed winery is built on three levels and is designed for the gentlest possible handling of the grapes and wine. The grapes underwent 10 to 12 hours skin contact pre-fermentation maceration, depending on the temperature of the grapes. Vinification took place in stainless steel tanks to maximise the purity of the fruit. The wine did not go through malolactic conversion in order to retain freshness and enhance the mineral character. 20% of the wine was then matured in new oak for two months, adding subtle oak complexity to the final blend.