Around Greece with Olly Smith: 14 top wines try
1 Volcanic Slopes Vineyards, Pure, Santorini 2018 97
POA Clark Foyster
Part-owned by Matthew Argyros, this is a new icon in Greek wine. From a beautifully renovated cellar (‘canava’), producing just 6,000 bottles per year from 200-year-old vines. Spontaneous fermentation in concrete, 14 months on fine lees and held in bottle for at least two years before release. Aromas of fresh green olive, thrilling ozone and green papaya. The palate is superelegant: a wine of clarity, definition, and so ageworthy as to take Santorini wine to another level. I’d expect it to open up in another year or two and happily continue to evolve for more than a decade – if you can hold off! Drink 2022-2028 Alcohol 14%
2 Argyros, Cuvee Monsignori Assyrtiko, Santorini 2018 96
£31 The Wine Society
From vines more than 200 years old, 11 months on fine lees, twice-weekly batonnage for the first two months and then less often. The 2018 was one of the earliest harvests for 30 years, which gives extraordinary concentration. Diamondbright, it has some of the greatest depth and structure of any Santorini Assyrtiko. Aromas of green olives, camomile, saline richness, subtle toasted pine nut, thyme; if you are a Riesling fan, for the aromas alone this should be top of your shopping list. Super-textural on the palate with salt and lemon intensity, complexity, a weighty profile and bright polish. Paired with sushi it is one of the world’s greatest gastronomic delights. Drink 2022-2026 Alc 14%
3 Gaia, Ammonite, Santorini 2020 96
£53.65 Epinoia
This single-vineyard wine tended by Ilias Zorzos spends 15 months on its lees with just 10% aged in first-fill barriques. Father and daughter winemakers Yiannis and Leto Paraskevopoulos selected a yeast to enhance the varietal character of Assyrtiko. Flecked with lemon-green, it entices with pristine ozone aromas. The flavour is a dynamo of green olives, powerful saline structure and an unexpected peachy flourish, the finish incredibly long, strewn with green herbs and citrus upswing. Fans of the very best Chablis should seek out this monolithic Assyrtiko, it’s utterly unique and almost has the feeling of a red wine in its body and flex. Definitely one to pair with food, shellfish is a must, sea urchins, crab; robust bold flavours and textures all the way. Drink 2022-2028 Alc 14%
Gaia, Assyrtiko by Gaia Wild Ferment, Santorini 2021 95
£33.99 Fortnum & Mason, Hallgarten Wines, Uncorked
Fermentation is in 45% stainless steel, 45% wood (equal parts French and American oak and acacia) and 10% clay. Fruit from the Pyrgos area typically gives a more aromatic character than other local vineyards. Alluring Mediterranean aromas of honey, pine nut, peach blossom and a powerfully spicy-saline volcanic thread, the merest wisp of smoke. When you sip this wine you enter a delicious dimension of richly textured minerally intrigue. Citrus refreshment framed with dried oregano and immense presence balanced between flavour and mouthfeel. World-class in stature, and while it tastes great in the first three years of bottling, in my experience it unfurls further magnificent layers of complexity over a decade of careful cellaring. Drink 2022-2032 Alc 13.5%
4 Santo Wines, Irini, Santorini 2019 94
£28.99 Aspris & Son
Made by Nikos Varvarigos, from 60- to 80-year-old vines, 100% Assyrtiko fermented and matured for 18 months in 10-year-old barriques previously used to mature sweet vinsanto. Superbly complex aromas ranging from deep nuttiness to richer balsamic notes and bright mountain thyme, immediate intensity. This is a meditation wine of epic concentration with echoing zesty power from the barrel maturation and an oily texture with umami depth, which pairs magnificently with roast lamb and mint sauce. Savoury nuances of honeycomb and camomile culminate in a very vibrant finish. Limited to 3,000 bottles. Drink 2022-2024 Alc 14.5%
5 Domaine Sigalas, Nychteri, Santorini 2019 93
£70 Maltby & Greek
Fermented in old 500-litre oak barrels and lees-aged for 30 months, typically released after three years, this is a white wine of time and care that deserves a bit of reverence. Made from late-harvested Assyrtiko grapes,
and in times gone by in a more oxidative style, today the result is just beautifully opulent. Liquid-gold, it’s a statement wine layered with savoury depth and rich salinity that makes a gorgeous pairing with Sunday roast chicken. Wears its 15% alcohol exceptionally well and won me over with its generous charm. Drink 2022-2029 Alc 15%
6 Monemvasia, Kydonitsa, Laconia, Peloponnese 2021 92
£15.99 Hallgarten Wines, Loki Wines
Stainless steel fermentation with five to six months on lees, this is a joyful white wine, clean and fresh as the modern, upbeat design of both the winery itself and bottle presentation. Kydonitsa (meaning ‘quince’) has a massive future in Greece’s white wine line-up. Delicately scented with geranium, bright apricot and, yes, a little spark of quince, this zesty white begins with elegant purity and builds into spicy dried herbs and flowers laced around a steely core, and I love the discreetly grippy finish it delivers, with a bergamot bite. Perfect with light nibbles or paired with spinach pie, goat’s cheese, rocket salads, or even lemony lamb dishes. Decant before serving – it’s a revelation. Drink 2022-2024 Alc 13%
Skouras, Assyrtiko, Nemea, Peloponnese 2021 92
£15.99 Majestic
Wonderful to find an Assyrtiko from the Peloponnese that’s available to order across the UK and an absolute bargain for the quality. Whole-bunch pressed, aged on lees for four months, this white is a dancer, deft and delicious. Cutting as a frozen shard of Granny Smith apple splicing a salt crystal, look out for the delicate creamy texture and pour it as your go-to aperitif all summer long. Drink 2022-2025 Alc 13.5%
7 Aldi, Aspri Petra Assyrtiko, Florina, Macedonia 2021 90
£6.99 Aldi
A sensational white wine for the money, peachy, zingy, invigorating and balanced: it’s hard to think of a better white wine for the price. Not only is it beautifully made Assyrtiko from Florina in the north of Greece, it’s also in my experience a crowd-pleaser that builds confidence in Greek wine for everyone who tastes it. Must-taste for the price, and if you’ve ever enjoyed Chablis, you’ll adore this Greek gem. Drink 2022-2023 Alc 13%
8 Semeli, M&S Found Moschofilero & Roditis, Peloponnese 2021 89
£8.50 Marks & Spencer
Fragrant and exotic, this comes from cool-climate Mantinia building freshness into every harvest. It may have you dreaming of fragrant off-dry wines when you first engage with the floral aromas, but this wine is a searing zinger on the palate. Superb with shellfish, garlic prawns in particular. Another Greek steal on the high street. Drink 2022 Alc 12.5%
9 Skouras, Peplo, Peloponnese 2021 94
£19.99 Eclectic Wines
This high-elevation rosé is a delight! One third each of Agiorgitiko aged in acacia barrels, Syrah aged in stainless steel, and Mavrofilero in egg-shaped amphorae with four months’ skin contact. The vineyards, above 600m, are the root of its inherent freshness, with an orange onion-skin resonance to the colour and scented floral allure: a rosé that tantalises as never before. Body is the first thing you notice, yet along with the summer red fruit strata, this is serious wine that’s full of surprises and as vibrant as a pink grapefruit in a sherbet snowglobe. Drink 2022-2024 Alc 13%
10 Palivou Estate, La Vie en Rose, Nemea, Peloponnese 2021 91
£15 Epinoia
A great fun rosé from the next generation at this estate, Evangelia Palivou: 100% Moschofilero with a pale orangey onionskin tint, it may look Provençal but this is a more exotic world of scented roses, lemon Turkish delight and a riot of refreshment on the palate. With the fruit sourced from light soils at 300m, it tastes as bright as a luminous pear. This is all about freshness and a real steal for summertime: a terrific example of modern Greek wine designed to be sipped and enjoyed in the sunshine. Bravo. Drink 2022-2023 Alc 13.5%
Skouras, Cuvée Prestige Rosé, Peloponnese 2021 89
£11.99-£12.95 Majestic, Wine & Greene
Blended from 70% Agiorgitiko and 30% Moschofilero, this is a superbly scented and alluring rosé, especially if you’re after something a little different. Sharply defined citrus verve on the palate with delightful intensity – this is one to pour as an aperitif this summer or for an all-rounder at your next barbecue. Drink 2022-2022 Alc 13%
11 Monemvasia, Monemvasios Red, Laconia, Peloponnese 2014 93
£18.25 Hallgarten Wines, Hannibal Brown, Noble Green
A blend of 90% Agiorgitiko and 10% Mavroudi, 75% fermented in stainless steel, aged in first-fill barrels and 25% in second-fill barrels for one year. The evolving garnet hue belies the exuberant strawberry fruit along with a charming rose fragrance, wild cherries and a portent of dried mushroom that will build in years to come. Stunning acidity reminiscent of top-class Barbera, with fine tannin and a delightfully earthy and black olive butter finish. The price of this wine is definitely favourable; I can’t help wondering if it has the makings of collectible classic thanks to its amazing capacity for ageing. I’d get in quick. Drink 2022-2026 Alc 13%