Akrathos Assyrtiko 2023
£24.25
The wine
Assyrtiko grown at altitude on the Halkidiki peninsula, where mountain height and sea air together keep the acidity taut. The varietal bottling gives more weight and grip than the Oros blend, with the stony, citrus-driven character that makes Assyrtiko one of the great white grapes.
Varietal Assyrtiko grown at altitude on the Halkidiki peninsula rather than on Santorini's volcanic ash. The grape travels remarkably well, keeping its searing acidity and stony citrus character wherever it is planted, and mountain height with maritime cooling gives it weight and grip here.
The producer
Akrathos
View all Akrathos winesAkrathos began in 2007 among a group of friends who wanted to make wine on the Halkidiki peninsula, the three-fingered promontory east of Thessaloniki. They settled on a site in the municipality of Aristotle, named after the philosopher, who was born nearby at Stagira.
The peninsula is mountainous and surrounded by sea on three sides, which gives a combination of altitude and maritime cooling unusual in Greece. Mount Athos, the monastic republic that has been continuously inhabited for over a thousand years, occupies the easternmost finger, and its monasteries have made wine throughout that time.
The estate works Assyrtiko and Xinomavro, the two grapes that define serious northern Greek wine, alongside Sauvignon Blanc. Farming is sustainable and production small, and the wines have the freshness that height and sea air together provide.
