Estate Argyros Assyrtiko 2015
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Robert
Parker
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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.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Assyrtiko is unoaked and comes in at 14% alcohol. Since I first saw this over a year ago, it has blossomed, although even now it took two days to get there. The first day was much like the first taste last year—closed, tight and brooding. Some rest has done it good, though, and with another day in the fridge, it finally started to open and become more expressive. Concentrated and powerful, this finally shows some personality and touches of saline as it warms. It still leaned to dense and steely, though, with fine tension on the finish. It looks now like it will age better than originally anticipated, too, but let's continue to take that in stages. For the regular Assyrtiko, this is very impressive these days. It is not done evolving. If it holds and develops well—it still needs more expressiveness—it may be entitled to an uptick again.
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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.
A crisp white variety full of zippy acidity, Assyrtiko comes from the volcanic Greek island of Santorini but is grown increasingly wide throughout the country today. Assyrtiko’s popularity isn’t hard to explain: it retains its acid and mineral profile in a hot climate, stands alone or blends well with other grapes and can also withstand some age. Somm Secret—On the fairly barren, windswept Mediterranean island of Santorini, Assyrtiko vines must be cultivated in low baskets, pinned to the ground. The shape serves to preserve moisture and protect the growing grapes in its interior.
