2023 Mouhtaro, Muses Estate
Valley of the Muses, Greece
Velvet Flame
Dark, fragrant and quietly thrilling, the 2023 Mouhtaro is one of those reds that feels both unfamiliar and instantly seductive. Ripe red berry fruit bursts from the glass, think crushed cherry, wild raspberry and plum, laced with spice and a subtle floral lift that gives the wine a lovely sense of energy. The palate is silky and finely drawn, with supple tannins and a bright backbone of acidity that keeps everything vivid and alive. There is generosity here, certainly, but also freshness and poise, making the wine feel less weighty than many reds of similar depth. Distinctive, polished and seriously compelling, this is a rarity with real charm.
For when: the table is full, the food is smoky, and you want something a little different that still wins everyone over.
Pairs with: lamb chops, grilled aubergine, roast duck, or tomato-rich dishes with spice.
If this wine were a place: a hillside in central Greece at dusk, warm air rising off the earth as the evening cool begins.
Muses Estate is based in the Valley of the Muses in Central Greece, on the slopes of Mount Helicon, where altitude, cooling breezes and varied soils help shape wines of freshness and character. Mouhtaro is an exceptionally rare red grape grown exclusively around Askri, at the foot of Mount Helicon in Thiva, and Muses Estate was the first producer to help bring it back from near-extinction. Thanks to the work of Athanasios Zacharias, who revived the variety and produced the first vintage in 1998, Mouhtaro has gone from local curiosity to one of Greece’s most distinctive and compelling indigenous reds.
Whats in the bottle
Mouhtaro 100%