Sigalas Santorini Assyrtiko 2014
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Spirits
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Robert
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Blend: 100% Assyrtiko
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Wine & Spirits
Sigalas’s basic assyrtiko is a stunner in 2014, a sleek, aloof beauty that tempts with an unusually robust set of green fruit flavors wrapped in tongue-sucking minerality. That saline chalkiness highlights the succulence of the fruit, wanting only a salt-baked fish to run interference.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Assyrtiko (i.e., the Estate Santorini) is unoaked and comes in at 13.5% alcohol. It is a fine example of how it is easy to underrate these wines (Santorini in general, Sigalas in particular) and take certain things for granted. From day one to day two, it became a different wine, even though it seemed just fine on day one. It started with a lively demeanor and an elegant feel, but didn't seem to have a lot of intensity or concentration. For young Sigalas--he being a guy who advises people to cellar his wines for at least two years after release--it opened remarkably easy. (That two years is usually too little in big vintages, by the way.) On opening, this was lovely, sunny and sprightly, but rather understated. Its best feature was its grip and length on the finish as it aired out and warmed. That was underscored on day two, when it also began to acquire some complexity. This isn't the biggest wine here, but when all is said and done, it has almost as much power as any of them, particularly with some air and warmth, and more finesse than the most powerful ones. Assyrtikos in general, and this in particular, have a hidden layer.
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Domaine Sigalas was founded in 1991 by Paris Sigalas, Christos Markozane and Yiannis Toundas. Initially, Sigalas made his wine at the converted Sigalas family home. In 1998 a new vinification, bottling and aging unit was built in a privately owned area of Oia, on the northern part of Santorini.
Sigalas has been a pioneer in the organic viticulture and has participated in a government organic farming methods program since 1994.
Paris Sigalas remains committed to the founding principles of Domaine Sigalas – a creative relationship with the tradition, the Santorini Vineyards as well as the use of the best in winemaking technology and experience.
Awarded Wine & Spirits Top 100 Wineries of 2021.
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.
A picturesque Mediterranean nation with a rich wine culture dating back to ancient times, Greece has so much more to offer than just retsina. Between the mainland and the country’s many islands, a wealth of Greek wine styles exists, made mostly from Greece’s plentiful indigenous varieties. After centuries of adversity after Ottoman rule, the modern Greek wine industry took off in the late 20th century with an influx of newly trained winemakers and investments in winemaking technology.
The climate—generally hot Mediterranean—can vary a bit with latitude and elevation, and is mostly moderated by cool maritime breezes. Drought can be an issue for Greek wine during the long, dry summers, sometimes necessitating irrigation.
Over 300 indigenous grapes have been identified throughout Greece, and though not all of them are suitable for wine production, future decades will likely see a significant revival and refinement of many of these native Greek wine varieties. Assyrtiko, the crisp, saline Greek wine variety of the island of Santorini, is one of the most important and popular white wine varieties, alongside Roditis, Robola, Moschofilero, and Malagousia. Muscat is also widely grown for both sweet and dry wines. Prominent red wine varieties include full-bodied and fruity Agiorghitiko, native to Nemea; Macedonia’s savory, tannic Xinomavro; and Mavrodaphne, used commonly to produce a Port-like fortified wine in the Peloponnese.