Even though we have run through some of the best buys of the Greek white from Santorini called Assyrtiko on the planet, we couldn’t resist another, near-perfect example of what the grape can be. There may have been an assist from the 2019 vintage as several white wine regions in Europe have delivered outstanding results from the vintage. But there aren’t a lot of (any?) ‘vintage charts’ to consult on the matter of Santorini. Nor can one presume to make comparisons between the Loire, Alto Adige, or Germany and a windswept island in the Mediterranean. Maybe we just have a thing for Assyrtiko.
We are pretty familiar with this unique varietal having stumbled across it well over a decade ago. Given the amount we have sold, clearly so are a lot of other folks. But in the interest of ‘continuing education,’ a brief recap is in order. Santorini is an island southeast of the Greek mainland. It is a place like no other and they have been cultivating grapes here since the 17th Century, B.C.! The vines here, as a result of the windswept terroir and volcanic soils, are almost in a ‘basket’ configuration with the canes literally woven together. The basket-like way of pruning and “winding” the vines, called “kouloura,” is due to the weather conditions that have always existed on Santorini.
Argyros is the largest vineyard holder on the island, with an average vine age of 70 years and some vines nearing two centuries which, on Santorini, isn’t that unusual. Founded in 1903, the current owners of Argyros (the fourth generation) control over 120 hectares. The winery calls this ‘the most important bottling of the estate, the essence of what Estate Argyros stands for. Meticulously selected parcels, with ages exceeding a century, from top quality areas of the island, mainly Messaria, Karterados, Pyrgos, Megalochori and Akrotiri. Fermented in stainless steel at cool temperatures and aged for two months in stainless steel tanks on fine lees.”
Consider the Argyros Assyrtiko Santorini 2019 a premium version of the grape, even though you can pay much more (the Karamolegos reserves list at $55 and $85 respectively). The nose shows fresh, restrained pineapple and pear fruit and insistent salty minerality. In the mouth there is surprising weight and substance yet with enough lift to not sit heavy on the palate. Intense and expressive, this is a full-throttle version.
Wine Advocate is one of the few reviewers that devotes much ink to Assyrtiko and they had good things to say about this one, “The 2019 Assyrtiko, the regular Santorini is unoaked, dry (four grams of residual sugar, 7.01 of total acidity) and comes in at 14% alcohol…This is more along the lines of an upscale Santorini in style these days (although at a more reasonable price)—richer, full of flavor and nicely ripe. ..It certainly shows better today, as its bigger fruit is up front and delectable. .. For the moment, this 2019 finishes with authority—and that extra flavor…92 points.”
Assyrtiko has many faces, certainly more than we envisioned when we first experienced the grape all those years ago. But this unique varietal has proven it can play at a high level and this version is here because it was simply too good not to be!