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White
750ml
Bottle: $14.94 $16.25
Bright yellow color with green hues. The bouquet diplays aromas of passion fruit, mango and citrus. Balanced taste...
White
750ml
Bottle: $26.93
This has notes of grapefruit, toasted pineapple, grilled herbs and beeswax. It’s full-bodied, layered and...
12 FREE
JS
92
Red
750ml
Bottle: $19.93
12 bottles: $19.53
Bright purple-red color. Complex, typical bouquet of small berries red fruits, leather and spices (vanilla, pepper,...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $25.94
12 bottles: $25.42
92 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate The 2019 Naoussa, i.e., the Estate Xinomavro with just Domaine Karydas on...
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White
750ml
Bottle: $35.93 $37.20
The 2022 Santorini Assyrtiko, the flagship 100% Assyrtiko (usually producing around 100,000 bottles), is unoaked and...
WA
94
White
750ml
Bottle: $44.94
12 bottles: $44.04
Located in Imerovigli, the sub-region of Oia Santorini, Sigalas’s Assyrtiko basket trained vines (Kouloura) average...
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White
750ml
Bottle: $14.85
12 bottles: $14.55
This is a vibrant white showing aromas of pears, white flowers, puffed rice and lemon verbena. Medium-bodied, so...
JS
91
White
750ml
Bottle: $19.95
12 bottles: $19.55
The Young Wine series was created to use hybrid grapes, made in a natural way, to make delicious, fun, and accessible...
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White
750ml
Bottle: $35.94
12 bottles: $35.22
This is showing aromas of salted almonds, white flowers, honey and golden apples. It’s medium- to full-bodied with...
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JS
92
Sale
White
750ml
Bottle: $34.86 $35.99
Gaia Estate is one of the pioneers of the modern Greek wine revolution, founded on the Aegean island of Santorini in...
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DC
95
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White
750ml
Bottle: $38.90
Reveals baked melon, Marcona almond, pastry cream and lime blossom flavors that exude a toasty edge -- a rich profile...
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WS
91
Sale
White
375ml
Bottle: $16.94 $18.20
12 bottles: $16.60
Rich, flavorful layers of dried apricots, caramel, and honey, with a touch of tangerine carry through to a long finish.
Sale
White
750ml
Bottle: $31.95 $34.80
12 bottles: $31.92
White
750ml
Bottle: $16.93
12 bottles: $16.59
Intense, with refreshing acidity and firm structure, Assyrtiko is a wine ideal for food pairings: fish fillet roasted...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $15.94
12 bottles: $15.62
A light- to medium-bodied red, with spice and herb accents lacing baked black plum, smoke and black licorice flavors...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $23.90
12 bottles: $23.42
Rare aromatic complexity with intense tannin structure and robust acidity. An excellent pair for red meat and game.
Case only
White
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $16.25
White color with golden highlights. Aromas of ripe citrus and stone fruits with hints of herbs. Full body and acidity...
Case only
White
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $24.00
Light golden color with white-yellow highlights. Elegant floral nose with citrus and almond blossoms. Aromas of...
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Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $29.94
12 FREE
White
750ml
Bottle: $17.49
12 bottles: $15.83
MONOGRAPH ASSYRTIKO captures a multileveled manner, which can be achieved with this Greek variety, when it is...

Assyrtiko RTD Savatiano Vidal Blanc Xinomavro Wine

Cultivated since at least the middle of the Byzantine era, the Assyrtiko grape is generally considered to be one the finest of the Greek grape varietals, as a result of its multi-purpose properties and ability to flourish on a wide range of terrains. The ancient Byzantines used it in conjunction with Aidani and Athiri grapes for the production of their unusual and naturally sweet Vinsanto wines, which are still produced today in Santorini, and continue to be popular. However, the Assyrtiko grapes are used for many different AOC wines across Greece, and are favored by wine makers who want to maintain a dryness and acidic punch to their produce.

The Assyrtiko grapes are renowned for their ability to maintain their acidity as they ripen beneath the blazing Mediterranean sun, resulting in wines which have a distinctive dryness and a range of citrus fruit aromas, as well as great structure and high tannins. Often, Assyrtiko grapes will produce wines which leave an unusual after-taste reminiscent of the mineral rich, volcanic soils they are grown in on the slopes of Santorini, making them a favorite for wine drinkers looking for something full of character and interesting attributes. The past twenty five years have seen Assyrtiko vines planted all over the Greek mainland, and even in Attica and Macedonia, where the softer terrain often produces more fruit forward wines with a milder, less astringent character. However, wherever this fine grape varietal is grown, it is rare the results will be anything less than excellent.

Additional Information on Greek Wines


Greek Wines
Ancient Greek Wines – A Brief History of Wine in Greece
The Myth of Dionysus, Greek God of Wine
What is Retsina?

Savatiano is probably Greece's most well known and most widely grown grape varietal, as it is the primary grape used in the production of Retsina, where the fermenting juices of the Savatiano varietal are flavored with pine resin in order to make this distinctive and famous wine. One of the reasons for the wide cultivation of this grape is due to its hardiness, and resistance to drought conditions. In the sun-drenched and dry, rocky Greek landscapes, this makes it an ideal vine to grow for wine-makers who require a strong and bounteous yield each year.

However, there are plenty of examples of Greek white wines which use the Savatiano grape but withhold from the addition the pine resin flavoring, allowing the true characteristics of this varietal to shine through. The result is often very pleasing indeed, with Savatiano grapes generally producing extremely well balanced and rounded white wines, with a juicily fruity flavor. Their aromas can vary quite a lot, with many Savatiano wines bearing the fragrance of citrus fruits, and also occasionally having a strong floral aroma reminiscent of elder and rose. Due to the relatively low acidity of Savatiano grapes, the wines which use them (including Retsina) generally bolster themselves with the addition of smaller quantities of more acidic varieties, such as Assyrtiko or Rhoditis, in order to improve their sometimes weak structure.

Additional Information on Greek Wines


Greek Wines
Ancient Greek Wines – A Brief History of Wine in Greece
The Myth of Dionysus, Greek God of Wine
What is Retsina?

Xinomavro is the predominant grape varietal of Macedonia, although it is also grown in many parts of Greece where the climatic conditions are suitable for this particular fruit. The names translates as 'acid black', which gives some clue as to the nature of this varietal. The grapes are renowned for their high tannin content, which is a result of the thick and blue-black skins found on the fruit. This particular characteristic results in a superb aging potential in wines made from the Xinomavro varietal, as time spent in barrels softens these strong, astringent tannins and allows the full range of their flavors to come through in the wine. Most commonly, Xinomavro grapes are associated with aromas of red gooseberry, spices, olives and dried fruit, such as dried tomato.