Greece

Founded in 1997 by Haridimos Hatzidakis and his wife Konstantina Chryssou, Hatzidakis is one of the most famous wineries on the island of Santorini, which we were fortunate to visit in the summer of 2019. And what a treat it was to taste through such memorable wines. In order to escape the heat, we were invited into the cool, fresh cellar, which is built into the steep hillside, providing the perfect ageing environment for their famous sweet wine known as ‘Vinsanto’. The wines are pure and powerful expressions of volcanic terroir, made from white varieties Aidani and Assyrtiko, and the scarcely planted red variety, Mavrotragano. Haridimos Hatzidakis tragically died in 2017, but Konstantina has stayed true to the style established over the years. With eight hectares of plantings, Hatzidakis maintains a strong connection to the stylistic heritage of the island’s wines and produces one of Santorini’s few certified organic wines.

Vassaltis Vineyards in Santorini was founded by Yannis Valambous in 2010. Upon arrival we were instantly moved by the state-of-the-art, stylish winery which was completed shortly after the first vintage release in 2014. Yannis has revived his family vineyards which total five hectares. His team adhere to strict organic practices to produce limited production wines from traditional Greek varieties which include Aidani and Assyrtiko, and which are enjoying unprecedented success on the international wine scene. The name ‘Vassaltis’ comes from the volcanic rock formed by basaltic lava, which contributes to the mineral, wet stone character associated with the island’s white wines. Yannis’ top wines include a Barrel Aged Assyrtiko aged in 500 litre French oak barrels, and a single vineyard Assyrtiko called ‘Gramina’, of which only 1700 bottles are produced. Both are comparable in complexity to some of Burgundy’s top white appellations. These world-class wines are the first additions to our portfolio in 2020.