santorini

PYRITIS ASSYRTIKO: THE GREEK ‘TRAGEDY’-ACT III

Consider this ‘Act III’ of our little Greek ‘tragedy’, although it is really only a ‘tragedy’ for the supplier. For us, and therefore you, it’s a great story. Briefly, we had been working with a small Greek importer who was approached by a spirits company to purchase his business and inventory. Clearly the idea of getting involved in ’burgeoning Greek wine market proved too seductive a muse.

Two things happened along the way. First, and not surprisingly, the spirits company did not have an effective marketing plan to distribute a portfolio of somewhat esoteric Greek wines to their existing customers or the broad market in general. So the wines kind of sat around. Part two was the fact that their spirits business exploded to the point that they needed every square inch of space to support an expansion. Hence, there was no longer the space or inclination to continue the Greek project.

The severity of the price reductions got our attention and this scenario was the source for that surprisingly good Greek Nebbiolo from Karipidis, and the Assirtiko ’34’ from this same Karamolegos. The final chapter (at least for now) is this top-of-the-line Assirtiko called Pyritis from Karamolegos winery.

Now imagine going from not even knowing what the grape was when we first tasted Assyrtiko all those years ago, to watching it blossom into something with a presence in the marketplace, has been a unique experience. But presenting a super limited, reserve bottling Assyrtiko that retailed for roughly $85 a bottle is far beyond anything we could have imagined. Yet here we are, except for the ‘$85’ part which we’ll get to in a minute.

The description is pretty familiar if you read our piece on the Assyrtiko ‘34’ a bit ago. Santorini is a place like no other and they have been cultivating grapes here since the 17^th 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. Thi configuration protects the grapes from the elements.

The Artemis Karamolegos Assyrtiko Pyritis 2017, like the ‘34’, comes from ancestral vines that exceed 120 years of age. The selection of the Pyritis is much more specific and limited to two vineyards in Pyrgos and one in Megalochori, the elite spots on the island for those grapes. Because of the stature of the vineyard sourcing, the winery uses only neutral yeasts and endeaver to stay out of the way in the cellar as much as possible to allow the vineyard maximum expression. No oak here, only a healthy stay (10 months) on the lees.

So what does super premium Assyrtiko taste like? Again the descriptors are similar to its lesser sibling. It hits the high notes on all of the key aspects of this varietal from this place, a region that is able to deliver compelling whites that are at the same time rich and driving. The entry is an authoritative mix of grapefruit, white stone fruits, and an insistent minerality sitting atop a well-infused acidity. The wine has drive and mouth filling volume, palate-stimulating cut and surprising persistence, yet everything is harmonious. Delicious, provocative, and exciting at every turn, there are a few more nuances by virtue of the more specific sourcing. In other words, this is Assyrtiko to the next power.

Wine Advocate had great notes as well, “The 2017 Pyritis is an Assyrtiko from three parcels of centenarian old vines from the villages of Pyrgos (mostly) and Megalochori. Unoaked, it comes in at 14.2% alcohol, with just 1.1 grams of residual sugar and 7.2 of acidity, plus a low pH of 2.85. A gorgeous Assyrtiko, this is textured, piercing and tightly wound. It is solid in the mid-palate and ripe, while not seeming overripe. It seems delicate as it dances over the palate, but it is not. Tense and taught, this looks built to age. We’ll take that in stages, as always…95 points”

This ‘tragedy’ has a happy ending as, thanks to the unique situation, we are able to roll out this one-of-a-kind, elite, $85 list price Assyrtiko at a fraction of that original tab, a mere $29.98! Quantities are limited.

WE ♥ ASSYRTKO

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 17^th 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!

AN ASSYRTIKO FOR THE AGES

The title is a little tongue-in-cheek, though we are completely serious about this remarkable effort. Years ago someone trying to hustle up business for a company that was a essentially Greek grocery wholesaler rolled in and showed us a few Greek wines. We were surprised at how good some of them were and were particularly taken with one in particular, a Santorini Assyrtiko from a winery called Sigalas. The grape was unfamiliar to us, as was the island appellation of Santorini, and this crisp white from Sigalas (which we sold for like $14-15 back then) became a regular item that sort of ‘anchored’ our Greek wine section, such as it was. Clearly there was more to Greek wine than Retsina.

Fast forward probably a decade and a half, and Sigalas now sells for around $40, and has been on the Wine Spectator Top 100. Not only that, from being an addendum to a Greek grocery company’s line, several wine importers have made commitments to an extensive Greek wine program. Given our love of these unique varietal, which comes off like a crisp white from, say, Alto Adige with even more minerality and aromas of the sea, we have been very receptive to being presented such wines and have found some real definitive beauties.

That said, the Santo Assyrtiko Santorini Selection Cuvee 2018 took us aback in a way that few examples ever have. Super intense on the palate, with bright white stone fruit, citrus, and pineapple center stage, but vivid acidity and penetrating minerality and salinity balancing it perfectly, this was a sizable white that was light on its feet but carried big flavors all woven together harmoniously. As we were doing some research for information on this breakthrough wine, we ran across a review from a source that we don’t regularly follow.

The piece, from Wine & Spirits, tells the story eloquently and provides some key details as well as a ‘quotable’ 95 point score. “Founded in 1947, this cooperative has some 1,200 grower-members, giving winemaker Nikos Varvarigos access to a wide variety of terroirs. For this cuvee, he prioritized fruit from Pirgos and Imerovigli, two of the highest points on the island, where the grapes ripen more slowly. This was particularly relevant in 2018, the earliest harvest he’d ever seen in his 33 years of winemaking. Vinified in stainless steel and left for 14 months on its lees, it’s a lush, expansive Santorini from its sunny lemon scents to its mouthfilling texture.

“The flavors are ripe, from pineapple to golden raisin, yet they’re balanced by a strong mineral impression, like the scent of hot sand. It holds its form and flavors for days after the bottle is opened, the powerful structure promising that this will just get more complex with age. Whenever you open it, make sure you have some lamb or meaty fish on hand.”

We doubt there will be a lot written about this wine as there wasn’t a lot of it, and that’s too bad. It is special. As to the article, a couple of comments. True or not, the purveyor told us that the 14 months time on lees was something of an error, a forgotten tank that was discovered later on and, once they tasted it, created a special cuvee bottling. Either way, this is an epic example of this distinctive varietal and terroir that should not be missed!

We don’t see it going with lamb necessarily as it is a crisp, high-toned white. A plate of fresh things from the sea would be our ideal match, or all by itself to appreciate all that is going on in the glass. We cannot comment on the assertion that it will “hold its form and flavor for days”. It would never be around “for days”(or even hours) at our house. It’s simply too good.