Estate Argyros Assyrtiko Santorini 2019
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Robert
Parker
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Winemaker Notes
Assyrtiko is known for its relatively high natural acidity. This wine is true to character, with flavors of citrus, lemongrass and stone fruit. It is medium-bodied and elegant with great finesse.
Pair this Assyrtiko with fatty fish, oysters, poultry, pork and smoked cheeses.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Ripe stone fruit, white pepper, bay leaf and salty nose, followed by a zippy palate and a long, well-defined finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
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. Quite a difference from the 2018 (which was drier, more tense on the finish and not as rich). This is a blend from mainly Messaria, Karterados, Pyrgos, Megalochori and Akrotiri. The 2018 is more along the lines of the Atlantis but bigger—meaning, fresh, crisp and nervier. 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. I liked both iterations, perhaps for different uses and different moments, but I suspect this will be the more popular wine. It certainly shows better today, as its bigger fruit is up front and delectable. I'm not sure that will be the final answer, though. Meanwhile, the structure may preserve the 2018 better. For the moment, this 2019 finishes with authority—and that extra flavor. The winery suggests it can last for a decade. It might do better, if well stored.
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Founded in 1903, the Argyros Estate is located on the island of Santorini, famed for its spiraling vines and white washed churches. In 1950, the Argyros vineyards were passed down to the founder’s son, who tripled the estate from 5 to 15 acres. Yiannis Argyros, the third-generation owner of the estate who took over in 1974, began looking beyond the local market for his wines. The inorganic soil of the island of Santorini is naturally immune to Phylloxera and many other vineyard pests, reducing the need for synthetic herbicides & pesticides. Estate Argyros practices sustainable viticulture, using composted grape must as fertilizer, and plowing the vineyards with mules.
The estate vineyards are located primarily in Episkopi and Pyrgos, which are prime locations for Assyrtiko. The ungrafted vines range in age from 30 to over 150 years, and are trained into basket-shaped bowls, a traditional technique called ""kouloura"". Today, Mathew Argyros, the fourth generation of family winemakers, continues his father's legacy by making legendary wines from Assyrtiko and other indigenous Santorinian varietals, using traditional techniques.
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.
