Anhydrous Assyrtiko 2024

Anhydrous Santorini 2024 is the flagship white from Apostolos Mountrichas’ Santorini project, a winery built entirely around the island’s volcanic terroir and traditional varieties. While assyrtiko remains the backbone of the wine, this bottling is actually a classic Santorini field blend of assyrtiko, athiri, and aidani, a combination that has long been used on the island to balance structure, aromatics, and texture. Mountrichas works with old basket trained vineyards across villages like Emporio, Fira, Kamari, and Karterados, many planted on their original rootstock in Santorini’s volcanic ash and pumice soils.

The blend is heavily driven by assyrtiko, which provides the wine’s sharp acidity, salinity, and mineral tension, while athiri softens the palate slightly and aidani contributes floral lift and a rounder aromatic profile. Rather than presenting a severe, laser focused version of Santorini, the inclusion of the latter two grapes gives the wine a bit more breadth and approachability without losing the island’s unmistakable volcanic character.

Winemaking is intentionally restrained and site focused. The fruit undergoes spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeast, followed by aging on fine lees to build texture and depth. Stainless steel is primarily used to preserve freshness and clarity, allowing the wine’s saline and mineral qualities to stay front and center. Mountrichas’ style tends to emphasize purity and tension over oak influence or overt richness.

The 2024 shows bright lemon, lime zest, green pear, and white flowers layered over crushed stone and sea spray. The palate is taut and intensely mineral, but the athiri and aidani add a softer edge and subtle floral nuance that rounds out the wine beautifully. The finish is long, salty, and sharply refreshing, carrying that unmistakable Santorini feeling of sun, wind, and volcanic earth.