Haridimos Hatzidakis has completed 23 harvests He is one of the most thoughtful oenologists on this highprofile yet fragile vineyard His six Assyrtiko labels one Aidani and three dessert wines are clearcut ideas sourced with insight from Santorinis littleknown terroir He is a risktaker and early advocate of organic farming Yet can organic truly bring something to these wines from a windswept sunny maritime climate Tasting through his numerous small vats shows it can The fresh wines from organically farmed grapes offer more precision Here lurks another bold decision For most of his characterful wines he chose to follow the difficult and risky slowfermentation option not adding cultured wine yeast One concession to a full naturalwine manifesto is the minimal use of sulphur after fermentations and at bottling The effort he puts into these diverse in character Assyrtikos reminds me of the painstaking discipline of archaeologists on their digs Brushing away carefully measuring a days work in centimetres keeping arduous logs pictures mapping GPS coordinates When Haridimos stumbled upon this single vineyard it was quasiabandoned and in terrible shape It lies 220 m high with a southern exposure in the Louros subregion on the Pyrgos slope The vines are believed to be over 150 years old Organic viticulture and ploughing with mules was the only way forward This gentle approach a homeopathy of sorts needs patience Three years later it responded with the mosaiclike profile of this name place coming into focus Each vintage imprint is different terroir driven would be an understatement As of the 2011 vintage Mylos is coming into its own In tasting through 2011 2012 and 2013 the aura of this oldvine wisdom on a special plot is tangible Underneath Hatzidakiss quiet and modest demeanour lies determination Not a whiff of vintners tales but proof of deed in his credo Ongoing quest of new challenges As I left he dropped sketchy details of his tinkering with another single vineyard nearby but that is another story
At this stage not yet reductive Pinkhued brass pale yellow Very pure earthandfruit aroma Floral summer driedherb notes of thyme Unfolds to pit stone An incisively chiselled mineral attack jolts your senses Saline acidity with a bonedry continuously persistent mineral finish The palatetwitching crystalline acidity keeps the tasty tannic bite honest Do not rush this as 20 minutes later it becomes full of vigour electrifyingly terse Impressive harmony from this blockbuster takenoprisoners notforeveryone style of wine An intense lasting impression lingers as the mouth eventually regains its composure With bottle aging it will need decanting A monument in the making Best 20152026
Wine: Hatzidakis Assyrtiko de Mylos Vieilles Vignes
Year: 2013
Link: http://www.hatzidakiswines.gr
Score: 18.5
Type: White
Variety: Assyrtiko
Area: Aegean Islands