Description
Hatzidakis, “Skitali” Assyrtiko
My recent trip to the mythical, crescent-shaped volcanic island of Santorini led to the following conclusion: This is the most powerful, searingly vivid terroir in the entire world of wine, and it may have no greater interpreter than Hatzidakis. Today, you get to experience that to the most extreme degree because we have not one, but two highly distinct, top-tier gems from their limited range. First up is their 2019 “Skitali,” which translates to “baton” in Greek. This deeply special cuvée was crafted in homage to their late, great founder, Haridimos Hatzidakis.
During the liminal stage of his tragic passing, some of the wine was left aging on its lees for an extended period. Once it was finally tasted, his surviving family discovered an extra dimension, so they bottled it separately as a symbolic gesture that the winemaking “baton” was being passed into good hands. If you’ve tasted one of the many “Familia” vintages we’ve offered over the years, “Skitali” is a deeper, smokier version with a more intense nose/palate. Insider tip: if you’re patient enough to leave a glass or two for the second day, prepare yourself for an explosive, stunningly complex evolution. We only have a handful of cases to share. Six bottles per person.
If you know Santorini, you know “The Wizard of Wine,” Haridimos Hatzidakis. This was a mastermind who toiled for decades, conducting innovative, industry-leading work that still reverberates today. Considered by many to be the most talented winemaker to ever grace the island, he spent his life being a fearless champion for natural farming and low-intervention winemaking. His vinous creations first stunned locals in the ‘90s, followed by importers, before eventually making their way onto top wine lists and into retail shops around the world. Quite simply, the Assyrtiko grape would not enjoy the global fame it does today without him. Although his untimely death in 2017 shocked the wine community, his close-knit team, led by his wife and eldest daughter, forged ahead in his memory. We’re now three vintages removed from his passing, but the spirit of Haridimos still resonates strongly, not just in his wines but also in the newly constructed underground winery that had long been his dream.
Sometime between 1645 and 1500 BC, the volcanic eruption of Thera on modern-day Santorini became one of the largest seismic events in recorded history, leaving behind a crescent-like caldera in the midst of the Aegean. Believed to be over 100 times more powerful than the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, the blast, among other natural fallout, discarded megatons of ash and lava that now make up the igneous soils of Santorini. I’m amazed that we’re able to offer wines like this—wines from places so extreme and remote it seems impossible that they’d be consumed, let alone known about, anywhere other than where they’re made.
But here we are, offering up an evocative white from mythical Santorini, where seaborne breezes are so fierce that growers must fashion their vines into short, basket-like coils instead of training them on trellises. Vineyards on Santorini, rooted in infertile, ashy sands, look like rows of large nests, in which you might find dinosaur eggs instead of grapes. Many vines here are very old, sometimes hundreds of years, as Santorini is one corner of the world that never had to contend with the phylloxera louse that destroyed most European vineyards due to its sandy volcanic soils. Another peculiarity is that because rainfall is scarce in Santorini and there’s no irrigation, the vines grab what little hydration they can from the moist sea air—that salty trait is always perceptible in Hatzidakis’ wines.
While we typically associate oak with “fine wine,” that’s certainly not the case in Santorini: Many of the best wines here age on their raw lees in stainless steel. “Skitali” comes from mature, organically farmed Assyrtiko vines located in the prized crus of Pyrgos and Megalochori. In the cellar, it fermented on indigenous yeasts, matured on lees for 12 months in steel tanks, and was then bottled with low amounts of sulfur. After an additional year in bottle, the wine was released.
Give today’s 2019 “Skitali” at least 30 minutes in a decanter, and it will truly showcase the tremendous power, mineral tension, and surging acidity of Assyrtiko. Citrus blossoms, tangerine zest, white peach, green mango peel, and salt-preserved lemon, bellow out of an all-purpose stem, followed by struck flint, smoke, seaspray, crushed volcanic rock, lime leaf, acacia, and honeysuckle. Although a touch nervy at first, the medium-plus-bodied palate blossoms with gorgeously deep textures and a sizzling mineral core. It’s a stunning, world-class white wine that only gets better with each passing hour—on days two and three, this bottle was SMOKING!
