Estate Argyros Cuvee Evdemon Assyrtiko 2022 750ml

Wow, this terrific wine is a star of my Greek report. With a name meaning "good spirit," the Estate Argyros 2022 Santorini Assyrtiko Cuvee Evdemon shows just how compelling Assyrtiko can be when old-vine concentration meets thoughtful élevage. Aromas of lemon cream, beeswax, licorice and subtle hydrocarbon notes unfold slowly from the glass, while hints of vanilla, pie crust and sweet cream reveal the wine's measured use of oak. The palate is textured and expansive, with creamy layers of citrus fruit framed by remarkable freshness and mineral tension. If Riesling is the great white grape of the Rhine, Assyrtiko is arguably the Aegean's answer, and this wine captures that comparison beautifully with its combination of richness, acidity, age-worthy structure and evolving complexity. Produced in 14,000 bottles from ungrafted vines aged 150 to 200 years in selected vineyards around Pyrgos, the wine combines 30 months of lees aging in stainless steel with a smaller oak-aged component, resulting in a wine of extraordinary balance and depth. The vineyards are rooted in Santorini's volcanic soils of pumice, ash and lava-derived material, where ancient dry-farmed vines are trained in the traditional kouloura basket system. This is one of the most complete and impressive Assyrtikos in this report. (ML)