I wanted to share some information about a wonderful vineyard, winery and cellar door in Santorini, which I had the pleasure of visiting a few weeks ago.
Set just outside Oia, in the north of the Island, Domaine Sigalis has its winery and beautiful cellar door restaurant and tasting room. The Domaine owns 40 hectares of vineyards, from all over Santorini and produces a mixture of single vineyard wines, and blended wines, producing over 200,000 bottled per vintage. They focus on Santorini’s indigenous grape varietals, and those of the neighbouring Cycladic islands. Their wines are imported into the UK by Enotria&Coe in the UK.
The phylloxera resistant volcanic soils allow for un-grafted vines. The white wine varietals, which dominate the production, such as Assyrtiko and Aidani are planted on the volcanic soils, in basket terrace system called kouloura, to protect the grapes form the intense winds. The red wine varietals, often planted in the less volcanic soils, including Mavrotragano and Mandilaria are trellised in a low VSP system; the grapes are bunched so tightly together, this helps aid full and balanced ripening. The somewhat random vines are grown in a klafiskia and katavolathi system, when from an older cane from a mature vine is planted into the ground. When it takes root, it is cut from the ‘mother plant’ and starts to produce its own fruit. Therefore, many vines exist in a single vineyard of differing ages. Some very new, some ‘very old vines’.
As well as still dry white wine, Santorini is also renowned for its Vinsanto (PDO) and sweet wine, which they make from both white and red varieties
We had the pleasure of tasting 6 of the Sigalas wines. The standout wines for me were the Santorini Barrel, 2021 100% Assyrtiko, 14.5%ABV from vines which are between 80-100years old. It’s barrel matured in 15% new French oak for 8 months and matured on the less for at least 6 months. It reminded me of a very good white Burgundy, with definite oak influences, of smoke and hints of vanilla. Full body, creamy texture, high acid. It was wonderful with food and could get better with age.
Kavalieros, also 100% Assyrtiko, is a single vineyard wine, from a very high-quality volcanic vineyards, fermented in stainless steel with 18 months on the lees. I felt it needed more time, but had huge potential.
Their Vinsanto (PDO), 75% Assyriko and 25% Aidani, had 6 years in French oak (the PDO min is 2 years). The sun-dried grapes were pressed to make an outstanding sweet dessert wine, 10% ABV, caramel in colour, with toffee, dried fruit and nuts aromas. One bottle of their Vinsanto takes 3-5kg of grapes to make with 300g/l of sugar.
The red sweet wine (not defined by PDO rules) is the same production method as the VinSanto with 4-6 years in French oak, 200g/l sugar. It was like a ruby port, with intense raspberries and strawberry aromas but a much lower ABV and less spirity as not fortified – only 10% ABV.
We delighted in a superb, tutored tasting of six wines, followed by an equally delicious lunch, dominated by local seafood dishes.
If you have the opportunity to visit, or try some of their wines, please do!
