Santorini is an improbable vineyard. My esteemed colleague Andrew Jefford succinctly puts it ‘the world’s most pronounced terroir wines’. There are numerous reasons why and not enough space here to list them. Apparently it has not had the last word. It has shown it is capable of reaching new heights.
With a monks face farmer Spyros Chryssos is showing me his vineyards at Pyrgos. A foggy vineyard in paradise. The blowing south-western wind brings precious moisture absorbed like a sponge by the porous pumice. Yet, there is, much more than the vertiginous caldera cliffs which for most visitors is ad nauseum oversold. Look out for caper plants: with exotic looking flowers sprouting out of grey stone walls. A fossilized urchin now encrusted in contrasting flame orange sulphur is in itself memorable. Marvel the frozen in time rain drops on lava at Akrotiri capturing the fall out during the cooling down of the 1613 BC volcanic eruption. All eye popping and goose bump inducing. To understand the vineyard one has to walk and live through the vegetative cycle. Or experience the bleak beauty of winter when thunder lights up the caldera. Smell the wet pebbles as storms sprinkle the dark grey beaches, or the black magma strewn on sandy pumice reflecting a matt sheen not unlike black diamonds. In the dormant period, leafless ground hugging curled vines are like forgotten empty pick-nick hampers. It is a surreal landscape producing one of a kind wines whose low pH accentuates even more their inherent high acidity. Not even this paradise is issue free. Mostly part time farmers on Santorini average age is 64yo. The young have moved into tourism and related services or emigrated abroad. This is one of several bleak issues on the horizon.
Yet it is encouraging to see a new generation entering in the top end of the market. This joint venture from Chryssos(26) who is years more mature than his age with Naoussa and now Rapsani maverick Apostolos Thymiopoulos is the long awaited jolt needed in charting a new departure. Chryssos also happens to be one of the most important owners of vines on this under urban growth threat shrinking historic vineyard. As a custodian he is now protecting this invaluable inheritance setting the example. One hopes others will follow in his footsteps. Thymiopoulos has shown wise restraint in not rushing to join earlier the Santorini Eldorado. For 7 years he observed closely deciphering Santorini’s intricate vineyard patchwork. It pays to do homework and this long term approach is now paying off. This is a smart venture with both partners contributing sweat equity, exceptional sites, winemaking and marketing know-how. Under the Acroterra brand there are 3 small lot handcrafted wines, which have emerged from this exciting bold effort. The reviewed Assyrtiko is the finest and rarest. Get your magnifying glass out as this is the island’s first thumb print terroir wine. It is one of the most significant wines to emerge from this unique island vineyard in two decades. Furthermore it argues convincingly Santorini’s claim to the aristocracy of fine wine.
3 selected micro-sites of +110 year old un-grafted vines in Megalochori and Pyrgos. Tank fermented. Natural cork closure. Indigenous yeast. Bottled unfiltered. Light haze, pale golden with green tints. Botanical, honeycomb, smokey earth notes. Incisive backbone with a near endless savoury intensity. Palate cleansing saline-marine mineral freshness. No angularity. Harmonious sensuous crystalline persistence. Chalky bone-dry piquant textured signature. Graceful & polished. A previously unseen expression of these inimitable bone-dry wines. Intriguingly different.
Drink 2018-2031
Wine: Acroterra Assyrtiko 2016
Year: 2016
Link: https://www.acroterrawines.com/
Score: 19/20
Type: White
Variety: Assyrtiko
Area: Aegean Islands