2025 Sigalas Santorini PDO Assyrtiko, Greece

More stony and less fruity than the Kir-Yianni The North Assyrtiko just tasted. Creamy texture around high acidity. The alcohol adds weight and fullness in the mouth. More savoury and intense on the long finish.

Julia Harding MW

Few vineyards look quite like Santorini. There are no neat rows of vines marching across green hills here. Instead, Assyrtiko is trained into low, basket shaped kouloura to protect the grapes from fierce Aegean winds and summer sun. Domaine Sigalas, founded by Paris Sigalas in 1991 near Oia, helped propel these extraordinary wines onto the international stage and remains one of the island’s benchmark producers.

Santorini’s vines grow in ancient volcanic soils of pumice, ash and lava, virtually devoid of clay and with very little rainfall. Many are ungrafted and remarkably old, drawing what moisture they can from the island’s sea mist and humidity. Assyrtiko thrives in these harsh conditions, retaining formidable acidity even when fully ripe. The 2025 captures that unmistakable combination of citrus intensity, volcanic character and Aegean salinity.

Very pale straw with silver green highlights, the bouquet is wonderfully direct: lemon zest, grapefruit, green apple and white peach, followed by citrus blossom, crushed rock and a faint smoky note. The palate is taut and mouthwatering, with lemon, grapefruit and green pear carried by piercing acidity. There is real texture beneath that freshness, with chalk, preserved lemon and a subtle bitter almond note leading into a long, bone dry, distinctly salty finish.

This is crying out for seafood: chargrilled octopus with lemon and oregano, grilled sardines, prawns with garlic and chilli, calamari with sea salt or baked snapper with tomato, capers and olives. Our pick is the octopus. Smoke, char, lemon and sweet tentacles against Assyrtiko’s citrus and volcanic salinity is about as close to a Santorini taverna as we can get without buying a plane ticket.

Cellaring: Drink now to 2035.