($45, Diamond Wine Importers):  Argyros, an old family winery founded in 1903, has a stellar reputation on Santorini.  After tasting this racy Assyrtiko, I see why.  Many consider Assyrtiko, especially when grown on Santorini, to be Greece’s finest white wine.  I don’t have a dog in that fight, but if they are all like Argyros’ 2022 I understand the claim.   The soil on Santorini, a tiny Aegean island, is lava and sand.  The vines here really struggle against the wind, so much so, that they are planted woven basket-like in depressions to shield them. The riveting 2022 Argyros Santorini combines lip-smacking minerality with uplifting saline acidity.  You can almost taste the lava as an attractive hint of bitterness in the finish.  Drink it with grilled fish, of course, but also, as they do in Greece, with roast lamb because the acidity cuts right through the meat.
94 Michael Apstein Feb 13, 2024