1 | Wine | White, Greece, 2011

"The 2011 Santorini is an exceptional Assyrtiko from Sigalas, another great moment for this estate. On opening, I was actually surprised at how fruity and accessible it seemed, since these often need a lot of time to show well when young. It seemed elegant and refined, with a lush texture and a beautifully lingering finish. I suspected that was only half the story. Indeed, it was not even half the story and as it turns out it was really shut down. The next day it fulfilled the promises it gave in the first hour or so, fleshing out, seeming deeper and more intense. It still wasn’t done. After letting it air out for awhile on Day 2, this seemingly gentle, young Sigalas became quite intense, the acidity taking charge, the wine still remaining rich and mouth coating. It is crisp and persistent, beautifully put together and impeccably balanced, mingling elegance with that fine structure. It is built to age. This is a wine that should drink better in the next year or two, even if it is entirely enjoyable now."

This wine was named #90 of Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2012.

"A rapierlike white, delivering apple, pear and grapefruit flavors flanked by plenty of mineral and slate notes. Ripe orange accents linger as plenty of spicy hints mark the vibrant, long-lasting finish."

"Dry white wine with rich yellow color and greenish tints. Crisp, fresh with lemon character and citrus flavour. Its great acidity and round finish makes it a perfect summer wine."

"The 2011 Chardonnay “Estate” is a bit of an overachiever. It is quite lovely, juicy, but fresh, clean and bright, with pretty nice solidity in the mid-palate. It has persistence on the finish and it is hard to resist. This is a nicely priced Chardonnay that is awfully tasty and provides bang for the buck. It may not last a long time, but it drinks awfully well young."

"This blend has often been nice for the price, but it certainly seems to be trending upwards. With fine persistence and intensity, this is beautifully balanced and tightly wound, with better aromatics than the winery’s regular, unoaked Assyrtiko due to the blend (5% each of Athiri and Aidani added to the Assyrtiko), if not as much depth and intensity. This is simply lovely this year, one of the finest values in this report, transparent, focused and crisp, yet caressing and accessible. If you’re looking for fruity and sweet, this is not as likely to fulfill your goals. It is an overachiever, though."

"Moschofilero is the flourishing grape of the Mantinia plateau in the Peloponnese. An area that allows the grape variety to truly express its charming characteristics of fine aromas of spring flowers, lemon, orange blossoms."