Karamolegos Terra Nera Assyrtiko 2023

Artemis Karamolegos farms on Santorini, where the winery has traced its family line since the first canava was built in 1952. Terra Nera means black earth, a reference to the aspa, the island's rugged volcanic soil of ash, pumice and lava. This ground drains freely and holds no phylloxera, and the vines are trained low in the traditional basket shape to shelter the fruit from Aegean wind and sun. Assyrtiko, the island's flagship grape, gives searing acidity and salinity, softened here by a share of the local Aidani. The wine ferments in stainless steel and is aged six months on its lees, the steel preserving primary fruit and the volcanic freshness while the lees contact adds a fine, rounding texture without masking the site. The colour is pale straw. The nose leads on juicy melon, ripe pear and bright citrus, with delicate herbal notes and a wet stone edge. The palate is dry and taut, the fruit driven by high acidity and a firm saline minerality that runs into a long, savoury finish. Serve at 10 to 12 degrees in a white wine glass.