Vassaltis Santorini Assyrtiko 2022

The 2022 Santorini, in bottle about two months when seen, is unoaked and comes in at 14.1% alcohol. The price point here has soared in the last few vintages, but this has become a reliable and occasionally exciting regular Santorini (the winery makes a variety of other bottlings that are different, like the Plethora). This is ripe but not overripe, dense and long on the finish. It grips the palate while tasting great. It always seems elegant and serious at the same time. I particularly appreciated the graceful presentation. The remaining question with this bottling is how well it will age and develop. As you move into the big time and play with the Big Boys, wines have to hold a reasonable time and develop, not just show great two months after bottling. I think this has a great shot to improve over the next several years and hold well into the early 2030s. We’ll find out. Let’s lean up for the moment. Drink date: 2023-2033. Score – 93. (Mark Squires, robertparker.com, June 22, 2023)