Domaine Sigalas Assyrtiko, Santorini PDO

Description

Domaine Sigalas Assyrtiko is made on the island of Santorini in the southern Cyclades islands in the Aegean Sea. The Assyrtiko grape variety is considered to be the flagship grape of Santorini and tends to produce white wines with good acidity, packed with mineral and citrus character. Domaine Sigalas was founded in 1991 by the Sigalas family and a brand new winery was built in 1998 with a capacity for the production of 300,000 bottles per year. The winery is located in the village of Baxedes not far from the family’s canava (the traditional cave) where the company was founded.

Santorini is a volcanic island and the volcanic soils contain no clay, which means that the it wasn’t affected by phylloxera, which could not survive there. Therefore some of the very vines are very old (the vines for the Domaine Sigalas Assyrtiko are over 50 years old).  Many wine-growers a technique called “kataboladi” whereby, if an old vine dies, a connected branch from an adjacent vine is planted in the soil in its place. After 3 to 5 years this is detached from the parent vine creating a new, separate vine. A unique bush-training system called “koulara” or has also been developed. As the vines grow they are woven into baskets, low to the ground, with the grapes on the inside of the ring. This means that the grapes are protected from the island’s fierce wines and harsh sunshine.

Domaine Sigalas Assyrtiko is vinified using typical white wine making techniques. It is vinified in stainless steel at cool temperatures.