sign in sign up
<<
Home , Assyrtiko, Noble rot, Santorini (wine)

The Big Blue The Greek island of is producing better than ever, but faces the challenges of tourism and development

Words by Mark Andrew

All of this was a beautiful three- hectare , well over 100 years old,” says Santorini winemaker Haridimos Hatzidakis, “but the municipality gave permission for it to be turned into a bike track for tourists.” Just minutes earlier, stood breathing the salty sea air in Hatzidakis’ ‘Mylos’ vineyard, discussing the unique Santorinian and vines so ancient that no one knows quite how old they are. Now, here we were, faced with evidence that this heritage is under threat from relentless commercial development. Had we not spent the rest of the afternoon tasting at the Hatzidakis , it would’ve proved much harder to forget that bike track – the sight of every new luxury hotel, petrol station or supermarket is a stark reminder that Santorini’s have shrunk by over 75% in the

98 Noble Rot Noble Rot 99 past 100 years. As it was, And while 2,000,000 visitors a notably the structured, Haridimos Hatzidakis in tasting the incredible wines of year might make this Greek high-acid and the ‘Mylos’ vineyard this true man of the soil island one of the most intensely supple, juicy Mavrotragano. provided a delicious example of beaten tourist tracks on earth, Santorini’s vineyards are what it is that needs protecting. there is still a way to go when peppered with characterful Thankfully, the world is it comes to the appreciation varieties that are often found waking up to the vinous and understanding of nowhere else, though mineral-rich earth and treasures that this crumb of Santorini’s wines. has emerged as the electrifying energy of the volcanic rock is capable of At 75% of plantings on the star and rightly receives most volcano. producing, just as they have island, white Assyrtiko of the attention. Hatzidakis does a with Mount Etna, the Jura and is beginning to get the Then there’s Santorini’s wonderful job of capturing the Ribeira Sacra. The combination international recognition it incredible history – hardly essence of Santorini across his of high-quality but relatively deserves, even if it will prove anywhere on earth has such a range of white wines, unknown indigenous grape difficult for anywhere to match long track-record of making particularly in the rich and varieties, unique that the winning combination of (over 3,500 years). There uncompromisingly saline imbue the wines with genuine acidity, ripeness, extract and have been plenty of hiccups ‘Mylos’, or -accented character and numerous energy achieved on Santorini. along the way, including lushness of ‘Louros’. While not small-scale, quality-focused In older vineyards, co-planting various invaders, the everybody appreciates the winemakers, has alerted a alongside other white varieties catastrophic earthquake of distinctive style, he is generation of curious wine like aromatic Aidani or fruity 1956 and a long list of volcanic undoubtedly attracting a cult lovers to the rewards that can is commonplace, and activity that includes the following – and deservedly so. be found off the beaten track. there are red too, most largest recorded eruption in The wines, like the man, are human history. So immense big in personality and stature was the explosion of 1500 BC, the world – never stood a summer and can be so fierce (“Assyrtiko needs a certain The view from Venetsanos winery that it caused a tsunami big chance. This makes Santorini that it renders common level of alcohol to release its enough to wipe out the Minoan one of the few regions where vine-training methods obsolete. aromatic characteristics”). civilisation on Crete and is all the plants are own-rooted For millennia, the weather- ‘Louros’, in particular, is a believed to be the inspiration and centenarian vines come as beaten folk of Santorini have candidate for being the best for the legend of Atlantis. Yet standard (there are even combatted the elements by of the while the eruption was bad stories of 500-year-old vines in using their own distinctive Mediterranean, let alone news for the islanders back some places). “The pumice system of basket vines (called Santorini, its power and class then, it has endowed Santorini stone can be found deep down kouloura), to shield their grapes causing the head of with another viticultural in the ground; it is full of holes from the wind and trap as much a Michelin-starred restaurant advantage – a completely that keep the humidity inside,” moisture as possible, adding to mistake it for a top Corton- unique terroir. continues Sigalas, drawing another inimitable aspect to the Charlemagne at a recent “The main element that attention to another island’s viticultural repertoire. blind-tasting in London. helps to distinguish Santorini’s peculiarity of Santorini’s All of these factors – ancient Those looking for a more wine is the earth,” says Paris terroir – that it is technically a own-rooted vines, nutrient-poor ‘classic’ take on Santorini can Sigalas, another of the island’s desert, with almost all water soil, low-to-zero rainfall and still find plenty to excite. At most respected winemakers, available to the vines coming idiosyncratic training methods – Gaia, Yiannis Paraskevolpoulos referring to the mix of pumice from the humidity of the lead to a maximum of 25hl/ and Leon Karatsalos define the stone, volcanic ash, sand and atmosphere and moisture in ha, enough to make the Bordelais chiselled, mineral-infused style rock that locals call áspa. The the morning mist. Every drop and Champenois (who routinely that is now the island’s soil is so hostile to organic counts in these harsh double or triple that) sob calling-card with ‘Thalassitis’, matter that little beyond conditions, but it’s not just into their Hermès handkerchiefs. while the ‘Estate’ Assyrtiko by tomatoes, fava and vines can thirst they have to contend But the pay-off in the best wines Argyros, and the PDO be cultivated, and with – the Meltemi wind whips is concentration and detail, Santorini bottling from Sigalas – scourge of vineyards across across the Aegean throughout marrying the saltiness of the sea, deliver the same distinct saline

100 Noble Rot Noble Rot 101 hit of volcanic rock and with the terroir,” says head influence). The results are preserved lemon. Although winemaker Ioanna fascinating, from the rich these four are, justifiably, the Vamvakouri, “and ‘Akrotiri’ (a hot area in the most talked about on understanding the distinctive south) to the lighter, more Santorini, a handful of recent character of the different perfumed ‘Pyrgos’ (the island’s projects has brought a long villages is the next step for the highest vineyard zone), or the overdue injection of new blood. island’s wines.” elegant salty tang of Perhaps the most exciting is Ioanna is not the only one ‘Megalochori’ (a well-exposed Vassaltis, where Yiannis fascinated by the prospect of coastal site). Still, not everyone Valambous produces precise, single-village/vineyard wines. is convinced: Stefanos Georgas, elegant Assyrtikos. With a Hatzidakis has ‘Mylos’ and head winemaker at Argyros, pet-nat in production, and other ‘Louros’ in his range (both from believes more can be achieved exciting developments Pyrgos) and Sigalas makes an by blending the best of each underway, this is undoubtedly intense single-vineyard wine terroir. “Single-village wines an address to watch. Likewise, from ‘Kavalieros’, a site in only show one face of Santorini,” the renaissance at Venetsanos Imerovigli. Not content with he says. “Pyrgos gives you (the island’s first ‘modern’ that, he recently released the something great, but what am I winery, built in the ’40s but out first of his ‘7 Villages’ missing? Whatever it is, I get it of action between 1979 and project, a set of wines from the from Imerovigli or Episkopi.” 2014) is full of promise. “The island’s most distinctive terroirs This tradition of blending NOBLE ROT’S TOP 10 thing I love most about all made in an identical way can also be seen in Argyros’ SANTORINI WINES drinking Santorini is that you (fermented and matured in steel Vinsanto, the lusciously sweet can really connect the wines tanks, to minimise from which the 1. Argyros, Vinsanto Paris Sigalas 20 year old

2. Argyros, Vinsanto “the weather- 12 year old beaten folk of Vinsanto name originates with talk of an application to (despite the Italians co-opting have UNESCO world heritage 3. Hatzidakis, ‘Assyrtiko Santorini have it). Numerous wineries make status bestowed on Santorini’s de Louros’ 2013 combatted the Vinsanto, but Argyros’ 12 and vineyards. They are, after all, 20-year-old bottlings are the the oldest continuously farmed 4. Sigalas, ‘Kavalieros’ 2014 elements by using finest – show-stopping, viticultural sites in the world, their own complex wines that should sell full of indigenous varieties, 5. Hatzidakis, ‘Assyrtiko for ten times the price. Owner cultivated with unique de Mylos’ 2015 distinctive system Matthew Argyos is rightly methods on the slopes of of basket vines” proud of his Vinsantos (“a very history’s most violent volcano. 6. Argyros, ‘Estate old tradition on the island of If that isn’t a good enough Assyrtiko’ 2015 Santorini”), but his fondness case to grant the vineyards for the local patrimony protection, then let’s hope 7. Gaia, ‘Wild Ferment’ 2015 prompts apprehension about the committee get to taste the future. “Real estate is the the wines – they’d be hard- 8. Sigalas, ‘7 Villages: big enemy of the local pressed to find anything that Imerovigli’ 2015 vineyards,” he laments. “We better communicates the need to find a balance between drama of where it was grown; 9. Vassaltis, ‘Barrel- development and respect for something that is worth Fermented Assyrtiko’ 2015 the natural landscape.” celebrating as much as it’s Thankfully, moves are afoot, worth protecting. 10. Venetsanos, ‘Nychteri’ 2015 200+-year-old basket vine

102 Noble Rot Noble Rot 103