Boutari Santorini 2016
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Robert
Parker
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
It pairs perfectly with fresh grilled fish with olive-oil lemon and thyme, fresh or steamed oysters, shrimps with lemon dressing, pasta with seafood or oysters, Greek salad, salads with sauce vinaigrette, and cheeses with mild acidity such as feta or goat cheese.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Santorini is unoaked and comes in at 13.1% alcohol—and a rather high (certainly higher than in the past) price point. That may be related to this news delivered: "The 2016 Santorini Boutari was supervised personally by Vasilis Georgiou throughout the winemaking process (from harvest to bottling) and consequently there were some changes in comparison to the winemaking from previous vintages. Specifically more reductive handling of grapes throughout the process to avoid oxidation problems, lower temperatures during fermentation and prolonged maturing on fine lees (five months) under low temperature (10-12 degrees Celsius). This method was also performed to keep the wine fresh until bottling and retain some of the CO2 from the end of fermentation to protect its character from oxidation." I wouldn't have bothered to relate all of that unless something seemed impressive on tasting this, for whatever reason. This seems to be the most gripping and most concentrated one in a while. It is hard to remember one that showed more pure power and a better finish. It is tightly wound and very focused. To be sure, some on the island still have more concentration, but this looks elegant rather than thin, while retaining all of its power. It is a nice step forward. It will, of course, have to age well to justify the score, but I'm leaning up on this at the moment. It should hold well at least five to seven years. Then, we'll see where we are.
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The Boutari family has been crafting wines from Greek varietals since 1879, when Yiannis Boutari first started producing red wines in the small northern village of Naoussa. Since that first vintage the family has become a pioneer of Greek wines. From exporting the first bottled red wine from Greece to reviving lost varietals, Boutari now crafts wines from six different regions using varietals that are grown nowhere else in the world. In a constant quest for improvement Boutari maintains "demonstration" vineyards around Greece where local farmers are invited to learn new methods and techniques for improving their grapes. The results have been astounding: Boutari has been named an International Winery of the Year by Wine and Spirits 19 times – only 5 wineries in the world have received the award more times. Achievements such as developing the modern style of Santorini to reviving lost varietals have garnered lavish praise from the wine press and spawned a generation of high-quality Greek wines made by vintners who cut their teeth under the tutelage of the Boutari family.
A crisp white variety full of zippy acidity, Assyrtiko comes from the volcanic Greek island of Santorini but is grown increasingly wide throughout the country today. Assyrtiko’s popularity isn’t hard to explain: it retains its acid and mineral profile in a hot climate, stands alone or blends well with other grapes and can also withstand some age. Somm Secret—On the fairly barren, windswept Mediterranean island of Santorini, Assyrtiko vines must be cultivated in low baskets, pinned to the ground. The shape serves to preserve moisture and protect the growing grapes in its interior.
