Estate Argyros Assyrtiko 2014
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Robert
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Crystal-clear yellow color, distinctively flavored with citrus overtones. The relatively high acidity of Assyrtiko gives it a crisp freshness, while the vineyard's extremely low performance offers body, structure and substance.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Assyrtiko, the regular, screwcapped mid-level bottling, comes in at 13.5% alcohol. It is unoaked and sourced from 70-year-old vines. Showing beautifully in its youth, it does what it usually does of late: be fresh, pure and clean, with good depth for its status and tension on the finish. This has become a solid and very focused bottling on a consistent basis, often showing more of that steel and minerality than the upper-level bottlings, although most certainly not their longevity or power. This projects that transparent, tank-aged purity that makes me want to lean up on it in its youth all the time these days, granting that it will not stay at peak as long as the big boys. Still, in the right moment and at the right time, this might be the better pick. The upper level bottlings here (with varying degrees of oak) will hold up better to stronger foods, but when people start talking about the minerality and purity on Santorini, this is a good one to try. You'll see what they mean. This is another fine vintage and it is not without some stuffing in its own right. It may last a bit better than I think, but let's take that in stages.
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Wine Enthusiast
Pineapple and lime peel start the nose of this layered Assyrtiko. On the palate, it unfolds with a combination of lemon peel, grapefruit and sea salt. This wine can age for several years but is good to drink now; pair with lamb, fresh fish or Asian cuisine. Athenee Importers.
Other Vintages
2016- Decanter
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Wine &
Spirits
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Robert
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Founded in 1903, the Argyros Estate is located on the island of Santorini, famed for its spiraling vines and white washed churches. In 1950, the Argyros vineyards were passed down to the founder’s son, who tripled the estate from 5 to 15 acres. Yiannis Argyros, the third-generation owner of the estate who took over in 1974, began looking beyond the local market for his wines. The inorganic soil of the island of Santorini is naturally immune to Phylloxera and many other vineyard pests, reducing the need for synthetic herbicides & pesticides. Estate Argyros practices sustainable viticulture, using composted grape must as fertilizer, and plowing the vineyards with mules.
The estate vineyards are located primarily in Episkopi and Pyrgos, which are prime locations for Assyrtiko. The ungrafted vines range in age from 30 to over 150 years, and are trained into basket-shaped bowls, a traditional technique called ""kouloura"". Today, Mathew Argyros, the fourth generation of family winemakers, continues his father's legacy by making legendary wines from Assyrtiko and other indigenous Santorinian varietals, using traditional techniques.