On Santorini the three As mature in the following order Athiri Assyrtiko Aidani Visually the vigour of Aidani is the more impressive Yet appearances can be deceiving If there is a problem it lies in its small acreage as well as market forces It is mostly found in the field mix and in few morerecently planted vines notably by the beautifully restored Argyross Episkopi vineyards or Hatzidakiss Pyrgos organic plots Aidani is gifted with a more aromatic though lower in acid profile than king Assyrtiko The revisited much in demand Aidani is needed on two fronts resulting in some serious price hikes Sundried Vinsantos backbone tannic bite and acidity remains Assyrtiko It is the smokey floral aromatic qualities needed for Vinsanto that set the wineries reaching deep into their pockets During harvest the Aidani word has become almost a battle cry With chilling chambers now being the norm this once overlooked grape has become something of a prima donna Price continues to rise as demand far outstrips supply especially as the dry varietal emerged over the last decade This softer introduction to the bonedry Assyrtiko has become the new darling of the fooderati Natures wisdom is such that in a given year not all three As mature in the same time window Athiri likes cooler climatic conditions such as the 2009 and 2011 Aidani ripens slowly and in some areas it struggles to reach the full aroma spectrum and expressive flavour levels The outstanding 2013 seems to be kind to most Aidanis Consulting oenologist Athina Tsoli has left few stones unturned in improving quality and individuality at Karamolengos Fully aware of the value of terroirdriven place names she has grouped them in styles to structure their shape for each label from the vineyard up This may be a logistical nightmare but much needed discipline Fact remains one has to go with these building blocks or happygolucky end up in messy mediocrity Even for the softer aromatic Aidani this terroir has such a strong imprint that it needs a proactive stance after the harvest futile attempts in blending The acidity in this much improved varietal is impressive It is sourced at the highest and cooler Pyrgos sites arguably the highest and slowerripening vineyards on this oneofakind island vineyard Interestingly as Pyrgos village reaches 340m and the vineyards 300m the locals refer to the microclimate as Siberia According to Artemis Karamolengos he sourced from the eastfacing Exo Gonia and the southwestern upperMegalochori slopes The look on his face after asking him how many hours of extra labour to harvest Aidani involves was well priceless
Platinum Pale yellow tints Lime scented wet pebbles Fat vibrant freshness Sweet blossom smokey mineral long aftertaste Food was made for such wines My Portobellomushroom risotto spiked with sixmonthold Cretan umamirich graviera cheese was quite a match I urge you to stock up of this yet another surprise from this worldclass improbable vineyard Palatecleansing hedonism at its best
Wine: Artemis Karamolengos Aidani
Year: 2013
Score: 17.5
Type: White
Variety: Aidani
Area: Aegean Islands