Akriotou Orivatis Old Vine Savatiano 2022

Akriotou, "Orivatis", Old Vine Savatiano, Sterea Ellada, Greece, 2022   

Grapes: 100% Savatiano, 45 year old vines.

Vassiliki Akriotou sources her fruit for this wine from the "Plataies" vineyard, near the village of Plataea in the Sterea Ellada region, north-west of Athens. At an altitude of 300m, the vines are situated at the foot of Kitheronas Mountain and have low yields due to a combination of age and the cold winters & hot summers being perfectly suited to the local Savatiano variety.

Before fermentation the free-run juice was cold macerated and given skin contact for six hours. Cold fermented in stainless steel, the resulting wine was then left on its lees for three months with bâtonnage (stirring) to give an extra, complex, textural component.

Intensely aromatic, with notes of ripe peach, quince, creamy vanilla and an intriguing hint of "Turkish delight". Dry to taste, with perfectly balanced freshness, intense flavours of grapefruit, pepper, ginger and wild mint lead to a long and spicy finish.

Critic's Tasting Note:

"Peppery, stony/mineral citrus and a touch of herbs. Excellent freshness and stony intensity. So precise and pure, with the texture of the lees adding depth to the arrow-like freshness. Persistent finish, even though it is actually quite light on its feet. Mouth-watering and textured at the same time." Drink 2023-2028

16.5/100 points, Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com, April 2023

A true "Mountaineer" wine.