Winemaker Notes
Crystal-clear yellow color, distinctively flavored with citrus overtones. The relatively high acidity of Assyrtiko gives it a crisp freshness, while the vineyard's extremely low performance offers body, structure and substance.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Assyrtiko, the regular, screwcapped mid-level bottling, comes in at 13.5% alcohol. It is unoaked and sourced from 70-year-old vines. Showing beautifully in its youth, it does what it usually does of late: be fresh, pure and clean, with good depth for its status and tension on the finish. This has become a solid and very focused bottling on a consistent basis, often showing more of that steel and minerality than the upper-level bottlings, although most certainly not their longevity or power. This projects that transparent, tank-aged purity that makes me want to lean up on it in its youth all the time these days, granting that it will not stay at peak as long as the big boys. Still, in the right moment and at the right time, this might be the better pick. The upper level bottlings here (with varying degrees of oak) will hold up better to stronger foods, but when people start talking about the minerality and purity on Santorini, this is a good one to try. You'll see what they mean. This is another fine vintage and it is not without some stuffing in its own right. It may last a bit better than I think, but let's take that in stages.
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Wine Enthusiast
Pineapple and lime peel start the nose of this layered Assyrtiko. On the palate, it unfolds with a combination of lemon peel, grapefruit and sea salt. This wine can age for several years but is good to drink now; pair with lamb, fresh fish or Asian cuisine. Athenee Importers.
A crisp white variety full of zippy acidity, Assyrtiko comes from the volcanic Greek island of Santorini but is grown increasingly wide throughout the country today. Assyrtiko’s popularity isn’t hard to explain: it retains its acid and mineral profile in a hot climate, stands alone or blends well with other grapes and can also withstand some age. Somm Secret—On the fairly barren, windswept Mediterranean island of Santorini, Assyrtiko vines must be cultivated in low baskets, pinned to the ground. The shape serves to preserve moisture and protect the growing grapes in its interior.
A picturesque Mediterranean nation with a rich wine culture dating back to ancient times, Greece has so much more to offer than just retsina. Between the mainland and the country’s many islands, a wealth of Greek wine styles exists, made mostly from Greece’s plentiful indigenous varieties. After centuries of adversity after Ottoman rule, the modern Greek wine industry took off in the late 20th century with an influx of newly trained winemakers and investments in winemaking technology.
The climate—generally hot Mediterranean—can vary a bit with latitude and elevation, and is mostly moderated by cool maritime breezes. Drought can be an issue for Greek wine during the long, dry summers, sometimes necessitating irrigation.
Over 300 indigenous grapes have been identified throughout Greece, and though not all of them are suitable for wine production, future decades will likely see a significant revival and refinement of many of these native Greek wine varieties. Assyrtiko, the crisp, saline Greek wine variety of the island of Santorini, is one of the most important and popular white wine varieties, alongside Roditis, Robola, Moschofilero, and Malagousia. Muscat is also widely grown for both sweet and dry wines. Prominent red wine varieties include full-bodied and fruity Agiorghitiko, native to Nemea; Macedonia’s savory, tannic Xinomavro; and Mavrodaphne, used commonly to produce a Port-like fortified wine in the Peloponnese.