Estate Argyros – Assyrtiko Santorini 2022

The 2022 vintage is said to have been a really good year for Santorini, and the Estate Argyros Santorini Assyrtiko 2022 makes a convincing case. Tasted alongside the Canava Chrissou-Tselepos Vieilles Vignes Santorini 2022, the Argyros has a bit more to offer. The nose is more variegated, with some mint coming through alongside the typical Santorini salinity. On the palate, the wine is more lush than its counterpart. The saltiness takes less time to coat the mouth and the aftertaste is longer. That said, I have come to prefer mainland Assyrtiko in many situations – the best examples offer additional fruit and complexity without compromising on structure. Santorini is in a tough spot: the dry wines have very consistent quality, but even without the hype, the small yields lead to high prices, often around 30 euros for wines that hover a bit over the 90-point range. Comparing Assyrtiko to Riesling, I can't avoid the impression that we are often more at the level of a really good Gutsriesling – but you can get a Weingut Robert Weil Riesling for half the price. I am all for international comparisons when it comes to Greek wines, and they often win, but in this case it takes the story to convince. This is a 92-point wine in my opinion, but let's make it 93 points to be fair.