Winemaker Notes
Soft yellow color with golden shades and delicate aromas of citrus, white flowers and minerality. Full and aromatic on the palate with an intensive mineral character. Long aftertaste with a certain freshness coming from the crunching acidity of the wine, which is typical of the vineyards of Santorini.
A versatile wine, matching seafood, oily fish e.g. salmon and shellfish, yellow cheese, chicken, pork and a variety of dishes, even tomato and asparagus.
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
Some of Santorini's wines speak of the island's bright sun and the Meltemi wind in their brisk, insistent acidity and the way they whisk across the palate. In 2015, the wind never blew; and Haridimos Hatzidakis doesn't make breezy wines anyway. Focusing on old vines that he tends organically, he regularly turns out some of the island's most intense wines. This, his entry-level cuvee, is a giant, its concentration of dry extract palpable in the cashmere texture. The flavors are fruity, from meyer lemon to apple and pineapple, with notes of honeysuckle showing their ripeness. But then there's the acidity, pushing the wine forward with energy, keeping it dynamic. Firm and full of personality, it's a burly Santorini to cellar or pour with roast lamb.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Santorini is an Assyrtiko coming in at 13.5% alcohol. This old vines white (40 to 80 years) is simply gripping, filled with youthful, unevolved fruit and a certain salty nuance on the end. (I think that is a descriptor too often used–but it seems to fit here.) Elegant, yet concentrated enough for this level, this is impressive on many fronts for the regular Assyrtiko. As it airs and warms, it seems wonderfully fresh and completely delicious, yet always persistent. Admittedly, it is not exactly the most concentrated Santorini as it airs out, but its personality and flavor make up for that just now. This is a very impressive "regular" Santorini and a terrific value.
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.
SPRDNHAHZ15C_2015 Item# 183847