Estate Argyros - Santorini Assyrtiko Cuvee Monsignori 2022
Price: $99.96
| Producer | Estate Argyros |
| Country | Greece |
| Region | Santorini |
| Varietal | Assyrtiko |
| Vintage | 2022 |
| Sku | 603800 |
| Size | 750ml |
Estate Argyros is one of Santorini’s most historic and celebrated wineries, with roots in viticulture stretching back more than two centuries. Founded in 1903, the estate is the largest private vineyard owner on Santorini with, over 120 hectares—given the scarcity of land and its high value for tourism and development this is a significant number, one that proves their commitment to traditional Greek viticulture.
The vineyards themselves are a huge part of the estate's success and no where is that more apparent than in this cuvee, the Monsignori. Consider that the average vine age across the estate is over 70 years. For the Monsignori That's an incredible number. As we know, old vines yield little volume but they make up for such small yields with incredible grapes that possess the potential for increased intensity and complexity in the final wine. In the case of Monsignori, whose Assyrtiko vines are are at least 200 years old, yield astonishingly small quantities of grapes—often no more than 21 hectoliters per hectare, among the lowest in the world. To protect fruit in Santorini’s harsh, windswept climate, growers employ unique training methods found nowhere else. While the basket-shaped Kouloura system is the island’s most famous, Estate Argyros favors the lesser-known but similar Koulouri style for much of its vineyard. This bracelet-like structure, with shallower 'walls', allows for easier canopy balance and management.
From these venerable vines comes Cuvée Monsignori, Estate Argyros’ vision of how special Santorini Assyrtiko canbe. The 2022 vintage is crafted entirely from vineyards at least two centuries old, their minute yields concentrating both power and elegance. Fermentation takes place slowly in stainless steel vats at cool temperatures, partially uninoculated, and the wine rests for eleven months on fine lees with gentle bâtonnage. The result is a wine of remarkable intensity, and length—a bottle that can age confidently for more than a decade but is incredible now.
Wine Advocate: 95 Points
This wine will be released in March 2025, and I tasted the 2022 after the older 2019 and 2020 vintages in this mini vertical. By tasting this youngest wine last, you get a sense of how fresh and pungent Assyrtiko can be in its youngest years. The Estate Argyros 2022 Santorini Assyrtiko Cuvee Monsignori has a busy bouquet with caper leaf, citrus blossom, thyme and wild sage. Those soft herbal notes cede directly to crushed stone and ashy mineral. Sensations of minerality are sometimes enhanced in the warm vintages, says Director Dimitris Motsos. This is an exceptional Assyrtiko that is young now and will benefit from more bottle time. (ML)
