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Buy OnlineAssyrtiko is the white grape variety native to Santorini in Greece. It was on vacation here that Peter Barry discovered the variety and thought it may suit his vineyards back in the Clare Valley. On returning home and making enquiries he found that there was no Assyrtiko growing there, so he set about importing and establishing rootstock. Made as a fresh, dry white. Maybe think a softly textured dry Riesling. Flavours of lemon blossom, honeydew melon with a lovely mineral purity. Intriguingly different and very good.
Winery notes (2022 Vintage)
"White floral aromas combine with orange rind, lemon zest, sweet freshly cut grass and lifted bath salts. A classic profile with the nose carrying through to the palate. The 2022 Assyrtiko has a talc-like texture, with a subtle saline finish."
93/100 Gary Walsh, The Wine Front, September 2022 (2022 Vintage)
"While it’s ok while sitting outside on a hot day, I don’t generally think Assyrtiko is a grape variety that should be served too cold. Unless it’s an awful wine of course, then it’s best served ice cold, like revenge. Nice sort of thyme and aniseed perfume, green apple and lemon sorbet. Intense lemon zesty flavour with a chalky texture, mouth-watering acidity, and a juicy tangy finish of good length, a quinine-like bite in the aftertaste. A very good release in 2022. Drink 2022-2025+"
93/100 Mike Bennie, James Halliday's Wine Companion (2022 Vintage)
"A vision splendid for the Barry family, who set their sights on this most Greek of white varieties in 2006. By 2014 they had succeeded, and today we have a wine that seems to increase in quality year-on-year. This release has a good deal of attractive savouriness overlaid on the gin, tonic, lemon and green apple fruit characters – indeed, oatmeal and cashew lend complexity and textural nuance, elevating the wine into unique territory. In a nutshell, it's delicious, quietly complex and refreshing to boot. Kudos, Barrys! Drink by 2025."
4 Stars Cuisine Other Whites Tasting, February 2024 (2022 Vintage)
"Pure crystalline in colour with a lovely delicate nose of citrus pith, lemon zest, green peach and seaspray aromas. Lean and fresh with chalky phenolics that add texture and grip to the palate. A vibrant example with a long saline finish."
