Winemaker Notes
Straw blonde color with light shades of green, with a subtle nose of citrus fruit. Excellent structure with a depth of flavor and high acidity, which brings the flavors to the front and adds freshness, with a lasting after-taste. Has the characteristic minerally taste of an world class Assyrtiko.
This wine pairs well with fish and white meat with light sauces.
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
This assyrtiko may not be as powerful as Sigalas’s single-vineyard bottlings, but the 2017 excels in the simple joy and purity it transmits. It’s a liquid landscape of Santorini, from the clean, salty scent of a white-sand beach to the blinding brightness of the white limed buildings, telegraphed here in sunny, pithy lemon flavors. It feels minimalist and yet dynamic, thirst-quenching and vital.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Santorini Assyrtiko, the flagship 100% Assyrtiko (which I have often called in the past either Assyrtiko or Santorini, as both fit) is unoaked and comes in at 14.5% alcohol. Maybe it was just due to my tasting this next to some of the brilliant 2016s this issue, but this seemed rather understated by comparison and a bit off of its normal brilliance. Then, I went back and did what I find is important to do when tasting quality young Assyrtiko—taste it again the next day. Sometimes, you might need two days. Or three. Decanting helps, too—a simple taste is not always revealing. If I was somewhat unimpressed with this originally, on the second day it was suddenly interesting, even exciting. "Understated" is the last word to use. It exploded in the glass. Showing fine freshness despite its size, it is simply gripping on the finish, filled with energy and very tense. It is also very concentrated. The wine doesn't seem thick exactly, but it is actually a little unctuous as it sits on the palate, showing how ripe and rich the fruit is. It fills the mouth. For all that, it seems to keep its balance. As good as this is, it left me wondering where it goes and how it will develop. Will it stay in balance? Become more expressive? With another three years in the cellar, it might show a lot like the 2016 Imerovigli Village this issue or maybe the Megalochori Village, but let's be a little conservative right now. I still have a couple of questions it has not answered.
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.
