2022 Assyrtiko Gramina
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100% Assyrtiko, hand-picked before dawn from a single vineyard plot. Whole-cluster pressed immediately upon arrival at the winery. Fermented in tank. Aged 12 months on lees. After bottling, the wine spends another 7 months in the cellar before release. TA 6.2 g/l, pH 3.01. Fruit smells riper, almost tropical, compared with the straight Santorini Assyrtiko. But also honeyed citrus without sweetness. Still with all the stony character of Santorini. More grip in the texture, excellent freshness and plenty of tension even with the lees richness. Deep, long and intensely fresh with a salty aftertaste. Complementary ripe fruit and freshness/minerality. Long, saline finish. (JH)
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Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
Described as the "Cuvée des Vignerons" on the front label, the Vassaltis Vineyards 2022 Santorini Gramina represents a selection of fruit from plots in Vourvoulos just outside the winery. This area is found immediately off the rocky coast (at 60 meters in elevation) and measures two hectares. The vines are 80 years old on average. Assyrtiko grapes are harvested at night with 95 crates and pressed immediately with no cooling or sorting. It ferments with natural yeasts and remains in steel tank on the lees for one year. This is a beautiful white, with a waxy feel and rich primary fruit that recalls Golden Delicious apple, almond paste and poached pear. You can also count on those pretty saline mineral notes as well. Production is 5,500 bottles, and Gramina was first made in 2017.
Assyrtiko from Vourvoulos. ‘Our attempt to showcase an Assyrtiko that pushes the boundaries’, explains owner Yannis Valambous. From selected vineyards but not marketed as such. Harvested by 20 people in a couple of hours in the early morning for cool and undamaged fruit. ‘Speed is key.’ (In the 2023 vintage they included some free-run juice from their young vines on Therassia.) Fermented and aged in 500-litre oak. Bottled July 2023. Intensely stony and mineral aroma but also an impression of creaminess from the lees. Smells more golden and spicy than the straight Assyrtiko 2022. A touch minty but not herbal. Chewy texture, with salty-citrus intensity. Powerful but there's no excess weight. Concentrated and almost but not quite austere. Long and elegant yet the fruit is very present even if it is not a ‘fruity’ wine. (JH)