Mylonas Assyrtiko 2020

I’ve been hoping to put an Assyrtiko in one of our boxes since the beginning. But the right wine hadn’t presented itself to us yet, and it was only when this fun little number from the Attica came our way that we decided to go for it.

Assyrtiko has become a sort of cheeky byword for obscurity in the sommelier community. Not because there’s anything wrong with it–it’s actually quite delicious–but it’s a hard one to get in a blind tasting, and it’s not something that’s usually easy to find on a store shelf. Assyrtiko is one of hundreds of grape varieties native to Greece and the Aegean, and has risen to prominence as one of the region’s great white grapes.

Most Assyrtiko grows on the island of Santorini, where windswept volcanic rocks host little bush vines that thrive despite the poor soil and nearly Saharan heat. This example, however, is from the hills of Attica, near the city of Athens.

Leading with salted Meyer lemon and tart white peach, and finishing with pineapple sage and oyster shell, this Mylonas Assyrtiko is decidedly oceanic. It begs to be paired with seafood or fresh vegetables.