Greece - Santorini
Santorini has a unique terroir that was created by a volcanic eruption in 1620 BC; the result is a volcanic ecosystem, dry & sandy soil and a natural immunity to the nasty pest known as phylloxera meaning the island has extremely old rootstocks. Just one of the reasons this island can produce such pure and complex wines. So much fun to see the traditional basket vines in person and not just in a text book! Known locally as ‘kouloura’ the vines are trained by hand into a round shape, low to the ground. This protects the vine from the high winds the island often gets and it provides leaf canopy shade for the grapes to protect them from sunburn. Also present are pumice stones- not just useful for pedicures! - the stones absorb humidity during the night and feed it into the vines like a natural irrigation system
Santorini is best known for its indigenous white variety, Assyrtiko but also Aidani and Athiri, often blended with Assyrtiko but now increasingly being made as single varietal wines. Assyrtiko is often compared to a Chablis as it produces very mineral & highly acidic wines, while Aidani and Athiri are much more aromatic and reminded us of a Viognier style with floral notes and a certain oily texture.
At Artemis Karamolegos we tasted a total of 7 wines from the range. The standout labels for me were 34: 100% Assyrtiko, free run juice with 10% of the wine fermented in oak followed by 8 months lees ageing. The result is a very mineral, white fruit dominated wine but with a creamy mouthfeel. Pyritis: 100% Assyrtiko again, aged for 10 months with constant lees stirring. Flint & ripe stone fruits plus a wonderful salinity. And lastly, Mystirio: pure Assyrtiko again but not as we know it! Skin contact used plus natural, indigenous yeast, macerated for several weeks and lees aged for 10 months. Wow! Herbal notes plus fine tannins, it still has that benchmark acidity but also a spicy finish
We made a visit to the on-site restaurant Aroma Avlis after for a super tasty lunch, with stunning views, an ideal holiday day!
With stunning views down to the sea, across acres of low trained vines with more vines snaking up the hills behind the winery to the village of Pyrgos, Estate Argyros was established in 1903. The winery has had some recent investment with top of the range equipment and a tasting room that is super slick!
The standout bottles that made it home in the suitcase are the 1996 Vintage Vinsanto- a blend of Assyrtiko, Aidani and Athiri grapes harvested at their most ripe giving very low yields. The grapes were sun dried for fourteen days, aged in old concrete vats, and then with additional aging for 20 years in old wooden vats. Also the Cuvee Monsignori which uses Assyrtiko grapes from vines which are almost 200 years old, fermented in stainless steel and aged for ten months in stainless steel tanks on fine lees. This is a prime example of how amazingly complex Assyrtiko can taste!
