I don’t suppose I can describe Assyrtiko as ‘the next big thing’ in white wines, given that production is small and prices quite high. But, from the island of Santorini in particular, the wines have received a lot of enthusiastic attention from the world’s wine lovers recently, celebrating their salt-licked, dazzling freshness in particular. Assyrtiko generally makes a higher acid, concentrated white wine. Perhaps Cru Chablis or high end Albariño would be a shorthand pen-picture of its character.
There are now some slightly cheaper Assyrtikos hitting the market, with bottles at around £10 or £12, though those will come from Crete or the Greek mainland rather than its island home. On Santornini, vines are trained in an ‘bird nest’ spiral that hugs the baking ground and gives some protection from sometime fierce coastal winds. This highly unusual system of vine training (called ‘Κouloura’), accounts for around 70% of plantings, others use the ‘Κladeftiko’, bush vine system. The soils of volcanic origin are extremely poor, that being one factor in why most vines are not grafted onto roostocks, as Phylloxera struggles to survive. Constant breezes do ameliorate the intense summer heat, but Santorini is still a tough place to grow vines, the conditions meaning naturally low yields.
Assyrtiko
Indigenous to Santorini, Assyrtiko can be traced back at least 3,000 years on the island. Given that its home is the southern Aegean, wines produced from Assyrtiko are distinctly ‘cool’ in character, with moderate alcohol and bracing acidity. It feels like a ‘modern’ wine for the generation that has dis-owned those big and buttery oak bombs. And yet there are interesting variations on the rather strict style that dominates including wines fermented and aged in oak, and sweet Vinsanto wines made from late-harvest grapes.
Changing Times
It’s an island that is used to contending with extreme weather, and yet the threat of climate change presents a new challenge. Summer 2023 saw a weather pattern that significantly reduced yields even further, by up to 60% for some producers. Spring hail and storms also caused damage, then a 15-day summer heatwave and drought added to the difficulties. Prices therefore, are surely bound to head only one way as demand for one of the world’s most intriguing wines will outstrip supply.