Kavalieros

Santorini, as well as being a tourist island with fabulous weather and paradisiacal landscapes, is also one of the most interesting areas in the world when it comes to wine...

It has a landscape where time seems to stand still, like an emptied hourglass, after the last grain of sand has slipped to the bottom.  It has a countryside of striking beauty, which includes the vines pruned according to the "Giristi" technique, their canes interwoven to create a kind of basket, inside which the grape clusters grow, sheltered from the hot winds.  The land is comprised of very poor volcanic soils, in which each plant has to dig down deep in search of nutrients and where adversity is part of the DNA of each and every grape. But, as my good friend, Antonio Flores, says, “nothing that’s worthwhile is ever easy!”

Kavalieros is one of the highest-lying vineyards on the island (250 metres above sea level) a unique plot, located in the village of Imerovigli. Here there is a quest for distinctiveness, as defined by Paris Sigalas, one of the island’s iconic and most respected producers. He seeks to “bottle essence”, shaking off traditional shackles and listening to his terroir, in a perfect and equal understanding.

Kavalieros represents survival, here the expression "old vine" really means “old vine”, as over 65 years have passed since these vineyards were planted. If they could talk, they would surely tell us some fascinating tales after their lifetime spent contemplating in silence. These old vines are Assyrtiko, the authentic, native grape variety so symbolic of Santorini.

On the nose, the wine shows a certain austerity, where less is more, but its delicate citrus fruit comes through in an exquisite harmony with the sweet spices and the oak, which Paris is so obsessed with.  On the palate, the wine is direct, very vertical, with a great deal of acidity, yet reveals a beautiful texture and creaminess due to the work on the lees.

The wine has a resolutely Mediterranean profile, like its climate, showing us that behind those wonderful beaches, there is a unique wine paradise well worth exploring.

So why not enjoy some bottles of wine with a story to tell?

Chin Chin!