The Best Assyrtiko Wines from the Greek Mainland

This year, summer in Germany offered barely a single opportunity for a proper outdoor tasting over months on end. When the weather finally seemed to play along, more or less, on a weekend in August, we were at last able to devote ourselves to Assyrtiko in rather more detail. We wanted to introduce the grape to wine drinkers who had already made some contact with Greek wine culture but were not yet entirely fixated on Santorini – people still open to new experiences. Because this time it was to be about mainland terroirs.

The basics on the grape – taste, Santorini versus the mainland, food pairings – can be found in our big Assyrtiko guide.

The weather did more or less cooperate – we had to sit out a brief shower, admittedly, and the wind pushed the Gabriel glasses across the table in worrying fashion, but with some sunshine one could only be more than content after months like these.

Our journey began in the far east of northern Greece, in PGI Drama. From there we tasted wines from Domaine Costa Lazaridi (in German) (1) and Ktima Pavlidis (2). From there, heading towards Thessaloniki, a stopover at Ktima Biblia Chora (in German) (3) in PGI Pangeon was actually planned. The white Areti, still the best Assyrtiko from outside Santorini at the «50 Great Greek Wines», dropped out of the running because of a rather pronounced reductive note. (That one of the guests happily drank the bottle anyway probably speaks for the wine.) From there we made a big leap westwards into the semi-continental climate of PGI Florina and Alpha Estate (in German) (4). We lingered a little longer by the lakes of Amyndeo, since Ktima Kir-Yianni, only a few kilometres away, now grows Assyrtiko as well (5). After this focus on northern Greece we made a detour south. First, for the sake of contrast where alcohol is concerned, to the Peloponnese, to PGI Ilia and the Olympia Land Estate (6). Then we had to move back a little again, to the little-known PGI Fthiotida, halfway between Amyndeo and Athens – because the Evampelos Ghi winery ages its Assyrtiko in oak (7). Since the whole journey through the mainland Assyrtikos took place blind, nobody complained to the tour guide about the somewhat chaotic travel movements at the end either… What follows are the impressions gathered jointly on this expedition.

Château Julia Assyrtiko 2019 from Domaine Costa Lazaridi

A very lovely Assyrtiko from Domaine Costa Lazaridi (in German) that stands out above all for its balance. It shows the primary virtue that matters with Assyrtiko: a crisp acidity. On top of that, the nose offers some floral aromas which round off the otherwise more typical (for mainland Assyrtiko!) fruity bouquet. The finish is medium-long, if not especially complex, and the whole flavour progression is dominated by citrus fruit. It is precisely this balance that polarises a little. In our blind tasting, some of the more experienced Greece enthusiasts tended towards lower marks – wine drinkers with a more international background, however, were one thing above all: very satisfied. And in the end that is what counts if you want to make Greek wine accessible to a wider audience. Hence, despite the wide spread across the tasting panel, an excellent 16.5 points.

Emphasis Assyrtiko 2019 from Ktima Pavlidis

A wine that divides opinion. Blind, floral notes hit the nose, notes that could just as well recall various red wines. And indeed the colour is almost golden, more so than in oak-aged versions. The 14.5% alcohol, at the upper end of the scale, also lends the wine a considerable fullness – which the aromatics, admittedly, sometimes struggle to keep up with. The same must be said of its tendency towards bitter notes. The white «Thema» (in German) from the same estate, blended with Sauvignon Blanc, is at least unquestionably worlds more playful with its exotic fruit! This Assyrtiko is a wine that poses real challenges when it comes to scoring. On the finish a herbal spiciness shows itself once more, but it then lacks the minerality to be truly convincing. A wine, then, that somehow stands on a knife's edge. The blind tasting shows: with many wine drinkers this wine will trigger too much irritation – nor does it settle down as the evening wears on. And in the end it lacks the complexity that would allow one to put the irritation down to that complexity and to a want of ambition. So the chief taster, who is of a different mind, bows to the democratically reached verdict and accepts the «only» very good 16 points. All the more so as they were awarded by people who were positively enthusiastic about the white cuvée (in German) from the same estate. But I stand by it: a wine that really only lacks the tipping of the scales – or perhaps the spark that ought to leap across on the first sip, which does disappoint a little. What is certain is that this is a courageous wine when it comes to the development of mainland Assyrtiko. Admittedly, perhaps it really is not so convincing in this vintage. But I also see quite extraordinary potential here. The screws should be adjusted a little rather than everything being thrown overboard. Then there is a lot, and this must be stressed, a lot more to come.

Assyrtiko Aghia Kiriaki 2018 from Alpha Estate

On the nose of this wine from Alpha Estate (in German) there is already more minerality than is usual for mainland Assyrtiko. And on the palate a certain elegance is confirmed, one that comes from the extended lees ageing. A wine that will certainly go with oysters – but that will rather disappoint as a thirst-quencher on a mild summer evening. And that goes even for those who would otherwise readily forgive a focus on structure. Because somehow elegance here comes at the expense of complexity, which is really untypical for Alpha Estate. The finish is duly long, as expected, but simply a little too dominated by a rather plain green apple to be able to inspire. The wine «leaves me neither hot nor cold», as the Greek would say. It will not convince the Santorini fan and will not pick up the internationally oriented wine drinker either. Yes, right at the very end there is still some plum and, if you wait longer still, even a load of nutty aromas with real substance. At some point you might think you had just enjoyed a sip of Champagne. But – fairness demands the question – would you even notice it if, knowing the estate, you were not waiting quite so reverently? And if you then wait too long, some claim, even a sulphurous aftertaste appears. At some point, realistically, you therefore have to break off and admit: what we are awarding here is a score somewhat disappointing given the producer, but as a whole of course still an excellent 16.5 points. Anyone who does not need fruit in Assyrtiko and is simply looking for an – of course still outrageously cheap – alternative to the notoriously expensive mineral version from Santorini will certainly be very happy here. But beware when the point is to win over guests who are not specifically graecophile for Greek wine! In that case the Assyrtiko grown just a few kilometres away by Kir Yianni is the considerably more suitable choice.

Anyone who would like to support our website can order the wine for €17.99 through this form (in German) from our partner shop.

Assyrtiko 2020 from Ktima Kir-Yianni

An absolute counter-design to Santorini Assyrtiko. Utterly fruity, lychee and raspberry, on the nose and on the palate – for that, the Assyrtiko from Ktima Pavlidis really needs the Sauvignon Blanc alongside it. Still a slight spritz, which will strike very few as disturbing. At just 13%, a wine with serious drinkability with which you can do absolutely nothing wrong. A screw cap could not be more fitting. Certainly not a particularly complicated wine. But the nose does knock you over every single time when you compare it with other Assyrtiko bottlings. There is that fresh lime, even after two weeks! And the acidity, exactly as it should be. Since the wine also delighted average wine drinkers without exception in the blind tasting (drinkers who dropped out with the more elegance-focused version from the vineyards of Alpha Estate, only a few kilometres away), in all fairness we clearly have to award a magnificent 17.5 points. And in view of the fig on the finish, more demanding Assyrtiko fans will swallow that quite willingly too.

The wine is available in the 2018 vintage for as little as €10.20 from our partner shop. Anyone who orders via this link (in German) even supports our website through the commission that comes our way, and – hopefully informative – articles like this one!

Assyrtiko 2019 from Olympia Land Estate

An Assyrtiko to fall in love with! For a moment you might think you were smelling a salty stone. But then you notice: this really has nothing at all to do with its stern ancestor from the volcanic island. On the nose this Assyrtiko is incredibly enticing – indeed, irritating in a positive way. A wine that will first bring every blind tasting to a pause. Is that resin? Eucalyptus? There must be oak involved! No, an old wine, without a doubt. Plums and herbs, all densely intertwined. «Is that medicinal already?» someone may even carp. Oh nonsense, just taste it! Because there, on the palate, the rollercoaster ride continues. The wine fires in two stages. First there is that bomb of thyme honey lining the whole mouth. And then a proper helping of fruit is added, peeling itself out of that viscous mass with incredible force. Quince above all, of course. But hey, oxidative works with raspberry too. All of it is followed by an extremely long, constantly evolving finish. You are shaking your head so much that you only notice the absence of a mineral dimension when the bottle is probably empty anyway – and that goes (field-tested!) even for wine lovers who rate drinkability very highly. (Dyed-in-the-wool Santorini fans will claim label fraud and a different grape variety anyway…) And all this even though, at 15%, this wine is certainly no light little thing. Fantastic, and there is no more to say, what the small Olympia Land Estate has conjured up there. Insane. Unquestionably a phenomenal 18.5 points! That on top of this I consider PGI Ilia to be absolutely underrated, and that I could not be more pleased for the estate to receive this score after the fires which did not spare the olive grove surrounding the vines and marked the estate with clouds of smoke – all of this I can state here with the clearest of consciences, because we arrived at this score blind.

Geraklis Boreas Assyrtiko 2018 from Evampelos Ghi

On the nose light caramel notes that overlay the fruit aromas. These tend towards the darker spectrum, blueberries even among them. Alongside them, though, more typical mirabelle aromatics. On the palate then good creaminess – the combination of French and American oak piles a fair amount on top of the mere 13% alcohol. The Evampelos Ghi winery is going its own, highly commendable way here where oak ageing is concerned! The question of whether Assyrtiko may be put into wood to good effect is impressively settled by this wine. With rather moderate acidity, however, it is not a structural wine. The wine first makes its exit and then comes back after all with a second finish. Anyone who finds the Assyrtiko from Ktima Pavlidis too bitter, for example, or the one from Domaine Costa Lazaridi too far off in the citrus direction, has a wine here that will bring a great deal of drinking pleasure. The practical test also shows: even more moderate wine drinkers by no means feel overtaxed here. In terms of drinkability of all things, only the young Assyrtiko from Ktima Kir-Yianni scores better in our blind tasting. Accordingly: an excellent 17 points.