Renaissance of an ancient wine

Stephane Reynaud shares his opinion about Clos Stegasta Assyrtiko Rare 2018 with his readers at Le Figaro Vin on the September 25th, 202o issue of the French newspaper:

“Here is a cuvée that finders of rare grape varieties, inaccessible estates and new tastes must absolutely discover. It comes from Tinos, an island in the Cyclades used to miracles. Tinos, the neighbor of Andros and Mykonos, was a land of wine during the Phoenicians’ time. Centuries passed, leaving these lands, blown by meltem, to the wild goats. At the start of this millennium, some Alexandre Avatangelos fell in love with the site and decided to replant vines there, over 9 hectares, at an altitude of 550 meters, instead of the crops of the past.

The result stands out from all Greek wines tasted so far. On the nose, the 2019 white, made from assyrtiko, the great Greek grape variety, smells of bergamot. On the palate, it is rich, intense, marked by a pleasant saline touch. This wine nourishes perfect pairings with fish and seafood. The previous vintages, notably the 2018, more crystalline, gain in richness and power and also pair well with taramasalata or mackerel. The Rare Cuvée du Blanc reveals discreet lemony notes. In the pace of Avatangelos, others wanted to create their domain on this piece of land, with varying degrees of success. To this day, the first is the best.

T-Oinos Clos Segasta at Terresmillesimees.com”