Assyrtiko

This is a refreshing white wine from Greece made from 100% Assyrtiko grapes.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has lemons, salinity/sea air and a hint of peach.  Light to medium bodied.  Good balance.  On the palate, lemons and minerality.  Long finish.  This drinks well on its own but is probably better with food.  Fish would be great, but  it worked well with roasted peppers and hummus.  drink over the next three to five years.

This Vin Santo or "Holy Wine" is a blend of Assyrtiko 75% - Aidani 25% from Santorini, Greece.  It is a very interesting Dessert wine, but, a little goes a long way.  Brownish amber in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is big with prunes, toffee, figs, nuts, and coffee.  Full bodied.  Thick and viscous.  On the palate, this is very sweet.

This is a traditional blend of Assyrtiko 85%, Athiri 10%, and Aidani 5%.  Nykteri means staying up all night and the grapes are pressed the night after harvesting.  Medium golden in color with some yellow hues, clear and bright.  The nose is great with lemons, floral notes, green apples and just the slightest hint of vanilla.  Medium bodied with wispy tannins.  Great balance.  On the palate, this is round but still retains a fresh acidity.  Flavors of green apples with a touch of baking spices.  This is very concentrated and the finish is quite long.  Nice on its own, this is better with fo

This is 100% Assyrtiko from Santorini, Greece.  Wines from this grape are made in many different styles from crisp, light wines to very serious full bodied wines.  This is the later.  This is fermented in French oak and then aged 12 months in French oak barrels and another twelve months in stainless steel.  The vines are 150 to 200 years old and ungrafted.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is big with citrus, sea air, wet stones and slight orange peel.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this is concentrated with lemon-lime notes and underlying  minerality.  Long finish.  This drinks

Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is all about minerality with a touch of peach, lemon and char.  Medium bodied.  Good acidity.  On the palate, this is focused (piercing minerality) with good acidity.  Long finish. This begs for food; maybe some Hummus and Pita, or some oysters.  Drink over the next few years.  

If you don't know this grape and/or this producer, you should.

Although summer has passed for this year, my wine of the summer was Assyrtiko from Santorini.  There are many different producers and I didn't have a bad one.  Very pale silvery gold in color.  Light bodied.  A slightly oily texture.  This has a bit of lemon/lime citrus but its really more about the smoke and minerality.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  This has some depth to it.  I have no idea if these can age or not, but the energy and brightness are not likely to last, so I would drink in the next year or two. This will go well with sea food and salads and even lighter fowl dishes.  

Assyrtiko is quickly becoming one of my favorite white grapes.  Light golden in color.  The nose is mostly about minerals and salinity but there are some pears as well.  The pears are a bit stronger on the palate, but the underlying minerality and saline finish are still present.  This is light bodied but very energetic.  Moderate acidity.  Medium finish.  Of course, this is made for seafood or lighter Mediterranean cuisine, but it drinks nice on its own.  I really have no idea if this will age but I would think it is better in its first couple of years.   

Greek whites and Assyrtiko specifically are fate becoming some of my favorite summer white wines.  At $17, this is fairly priced and drinking well right now.  Light silvery gold in color.  The nose is creamy vanilla with some lemons.  Also plenty of smokiness.  It is a big nose and while I presume this saw no oak, it sure has some of those characteristics.  From volcanic soil?  Stems?  More to learn.  On the palate, this has nice lemon notes with some charred lemon peel.  Lots of energy.  Good acidity.  More about the minerality on the palate though.  Drink now to enjoy that energy.  It wil

Greece is making some really good wines these days, both red and white.  It seems the whites are finding more shelf space in wine stores though.  This white, made from the Assyrtiko grape is very good.  It is a higher end version and like many lovely whites, I question the need for a "serious" wine instead of just having a more "simple" wine.  This wine is fermented in oak barrels for 12 months and then left to age another 12 months in bottle before release.  The result is that this wine has more body and complexity but it loses the crispness and freshness that makes Santorini wines so enjo