Santorinis geology is a marvel yet at the same time it is relatively straightforward Its peoples histories thats another matter The land split after Marco Sanudos death in 1227 was distributed to 20 families Today it is survived by an intricate weaving of EasternMediterranean peoples and the Orthodox and Catholic churches As I walk again the vineyards a great jigsaw puzzle comes into focus Some of the finest vines belong to the Orthodox monastery of the nearby island of Amorgos Digitalized property deeds are attributed to Hellenised names of Italian Catalan and Maltese origins The perfect setting for an Umberto Eco novel One constant in this extraordinary geological and human landscape is Assyrtiko The nuances now found in the singlevineyard bonedry wines are impressive Two are set to emerge with the 2013 vintage On this trip my focus is sweet wines Before me lies a 300yearold cellar Dug out of a tephra hillside at Episkopi it is filled with varioussize casks of Vinsanto I am in for a treat Tasting vintages 40 years back tracing their differing stages of development is a fascinating way to obtain insight on this oneofa kind dessert wine As I cross into the humid quiet cellar I cannot help thinking centuries of Venetian galleys sailing out port of Santa Irini from the islet of Thirassia their ledger complete with the commercial branded markings or initials stencilled on casks of the mostly illiterate Canava owners The Episkopi cellar belongs to the Catholic Church and is leased to the Argyros family who are Orthodox and of Byzantine origin Recently it has been lovingly restored A low key affair just like the great late Yannis Argyros whose work ethic and discipline is a formidable legacy Argyros was an astute person observing reacting adapting He lowered volatile acidity by carefully laying out to sun whole bunches Blemished or not perfectly healthy grapes were eliminated Timing is of essence in winemaking Grapes are sundried for up to 14 days depending on ambient humidity levels in order to obtain the right level of evaporation Fourthgeneration Mattheos Argyros now manages this standardsetting estate This 1998vintage Vinsanto rises above the very good Weather patterns helped A perfect amount of rain when needed no heat spikes It takes many human decisions to help nature get that extra bit and only some passive nonintervention to adversely subtract from a yearlong effort Apparently Argyros pieced together all the details
A blend of 80 Assyrtiko 10 Aidani 10 Athiri Pale amber mahogany Botanical notes Viscous Laurel Black figs Stoney Integrated tannic bite Freshness and vivacious throughout Textbook structure The figures are as impressive as the taste with residual sugar 240 gr lit 318 pH and 702 grl acidity tartaric Age this bottle for at least five more years It will surpass the current 1990 20yearold Best 20182038
Wine: Estate Argyros Vinsanto 12-year-old barrel-aged
Year: 1998
Link: http://www.estate-argyros.com
Score: 19
Type: Sweet
Variety: Assyrtiko
Area: Aegean Islands