Riaan
Member #397,354 signed up 6/2/2015
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2021 ALS Assyrtiko Extreme Terroir
4/7/2024 - Riaan Likes this wine: 98 Points
Trying out the new vintage of Als next to the new Vassaltis. Both made by the Vassaltis winemaker, but this his personal side project.
I’ve long been a fan but the Als seems to be getting more refined every vintage.
Creamy. Squeezed lemon, white peach, apple, chamomile, green tea, herb, and salty ocean breeze. Loads of minerality. High acidity but so well integrated you hardly notice it. This seems to have more aromatic intensity and palate weight than what I recall from the 2020.
This is so different from what you’d typically expect from a Santorini Assyrtiko, yet so good. This is a whole new face of Santorini and I love it. Altogether a much more serious wine.
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2022 Vassaltis Assyrtiko Alcyone , Cuvée Mythologique
4/7/2024 - Riaan Likes this wine: 98 Points
Brand new cuvee from Vassaltis.
Fruit from selected plots in Vourvoulos, Pyrgos, and Megalochori. Fermented 1/3 each in large oak vats, cement, and plastic eggs. Further aged in 500-liter barrels with regular battonage.
The result…a mad wine. Very unlike typical Santorini. Aromatic, very expressive. Sheer velvet. Layered. Textured. Slight richness, but perfectly balanced by its well integrated acidity. Best assyrtiko I’ve ever tasted…I think so (Except maybe for the 2021 Als I’m tasting next to it 🤣).
One of those rare wines where the nose is so good it makes you salivate purely by sniffing it. Love it!
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2021 Guimaro Ribeira Sacra Finca Capeliños
3/31/2024 - Riaan Likes this wine: 97 Points
I didn’t really read up about these wines before buying, but looking at it now, this would not typically be the most appealing cuvee for me. However, the 2021 just works.
70% Mencia / 30% Local varietals. Matured in 225l French oak barrels. ~100yo vines. Planted in terraces on slopes with a steep 50% incline on granite and slate soils.
More floral than the Pombeiras. More lifted and elegant. Earthy. Floral. Beautifully perfumed. Very silky. Doesn’t quite have the nice texture of the Pombeiras, but still works.
I very marginally prefer this…mainly due to the energy and lift. This is so light on the palate, just beautiful. Florals to start, spice to finish. Beautiful wine. 🤩😍
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