Avakas Assyrtiko Crete
Pairs with: Grilled octopus drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and lemon, crispy roasted pork belly, a decadent lobster risotto, pan-seared sea bass with charred fennel, or traditional Cretan dakos (barley rusks topped with grated ripe tomatoes, crumbled feta, and fresh wild oregano).
Good for: Surprising an Assyrtiko purist who thinks the grape can only thrive on the raw volcanic cliffs of Santorini, upgrading a lavish Mediterranean seafood feast with a white that possesses serious textural muscle, or savoring a rare island creation that beautifully bridges the gap between high-toned mineral tension and lush wood integration.
Grape: 100% Assyrtiko.
I am from: PGI Crete, Greece (Sourced from high-elevation vineyard plots in the rugged, far-western commune of Kissamos, Chania).
The Story: In the far western, wilder reaches of Crete, twin brothers Yiannis and Manos Pateromichelakis are busy preserving a viticultural legacy that stretches back generations. While their family had long tended to vast groves of ancestral olive trees, modern estate winemaking under the family banner truly ignited in 2005. Operating out of the sleepy hillside village of Lousakies, the brothers manage just five hectares of meticulously tended, certified organic vines.
Though western Crete is historically famous for its quirky, indigenous red variety Romeiko, the Pateromichelakis twins recognized that the extreme geography of their homeland could give Greece's flagship white grape, Assyrtiko, a fascinating new identity. Their vineyards sit at an altitude of 300 meters, rooted in a rich blend of clay-loam and schist soils. Here, the vines enjoy a brilliant climate paradox: they are constantly cooled by crisp northern breezes blowing off the Aegean Sea, while the imposing Lefka Ori (White Mountains) range acts as a colossal defensive shield, blocking the scorching, arid winds blowing north from Africa.
To craft their signature "Avakas" Assyrtiko, the brothers strictly limit vineyard yields to maximize fruit concentration. After a complete de-stemming and a slow 15-day fermentation, they flip the traditional, hyper-crisp Assyrtiko playbook completely on its head. Instead of locking the wine entirely in cold steel, they age 60% of the juice in new French oak barriques, leaving the remaining 40% in stainless steel. This bold, texturally ambitious approach coaxes out a rare, voluptuous side of the grape without sacrificing its raw mountain energy.
Why You'll Love Me: It is rich, beautifully evolved, and strikingly complex—an island white that executes a brilliant high-wire act between a velvety embrace and a vibrant, tongue-cleansing acidity. In the glass, it pours a brilliant, deep straw-gold hue with shimmering platinum reflections. The nose is a multi-dimensional playground, opening with an aromatic punch of ripe citrus oils, grilled lemon, and baked yellow orchard fruits, seamlessly layered with complex undertones of toasted hazelnuts, vanilla bean, dried wild thyme, and a distinct puff of pastry dough. On the palate, it delivers a remarkably full-bodied and complete experience; the time spent in new wood lends a luxurious, waxy mouthfeel that blankets the tongue. Yet, Assyrtiko’s true, high-tension nature cannot be tamed—a driving beam of pristine acidity instantly cuts through the richness, carrying layers of orange zest, white pepper, and a faint, mouthwatering whisper of sea-salt salinity into a long, bone-dry finish.
