I’ve been toying around with the following question for a while; we talk about the stunning personality of the wines of Santorini, with their benchmark saltiness and uncompromised combination of high acid and alcohol. We also proffer the long ageing potential of these wines. But, what do we really know about their ageing potential? How did we arrive at this presumption?
In one of my previous articles, The Question of Santorini Prices [1], Mark Andrew MW of Noble Rot commented that “if the producers want to see prices continue to rise then there is still a lot of work to be done - both in terms of communicating the message of the island's unique terroir to an international audience, and in pushing the quality of the wines to the next level”. This would definitely put ageing potential at the centre of our attention, as it satisfies both of the conditions stipulated by Mark. It indicates quality and it communicates the message of a truly distinctive wine.
However, the truth about the ageing potential of Santorini wines is rather anecdotal. How many mature wines have we tasted with more than a decade of life? In actuality very few; a handful perhaps. In my e-book “The Vineyards and Wines of Greece [2]” I covered the ageing potential of the main Greek varieties. When I referred to Assyrtiko from Santorini I wrote “drink your Santorini 6 - 10 years after the harvest and go even further for top examples…’’ This was my initial estimate and viewpoint, but I wanted to be able to be more specific. Inevitably, a blind tasting needed to be arranged. I invited wine consultant Gregory Michailos Dip WSET and former Gaia winemaker Demitris Akrivos, who has extensive experience with Santorini wines, to join me in this appraisal. I requested a 5 year old and a 10 year old Santorini (Assyrtiko) from each of the producers on the island, with no obvious oak influence. I felt it was important to determine the character of Assyrtiko, in its purest expression.
There is an interesting point that readers of karakasis.mw should be aware of. Old vintages are a very rare find, as most producers have just started holding back vintages recently. Fortunately, producers were extremely helpful and eager to provide the required 5 and 10 year old Santorini wines, and my good friend, George Tsirpanlis, was kind enough to contribute a missing trio.