Product Description
96 points Wine & Spirits
"When Haridimos Hatzidakis died in August 2017, he left behind a lone tank of 2016 assyrtiko that was still resting on its lees. After tasting it, the team was inspired to create Skitali. "It means ‘baton,’" says Constantina Chrisou, his widow. "It was something he’d given us, passed on." Her daughter, winemaker Stella Hatzidakis, blended this 2017 using very ripe fruit from Pirgos and a smaller contribution from Megalochori; she fermented it in stainless steel and left it on the lees for a year. At 14.5 percent alcohol, it’s a big wine, staunch and meaty in build, yet entirely charming, welcoming in its juicy pear flavors, and cheerful in its tangelo and honey notes. And amazingly, it ends clean, with a cleansing salinity. "Haridimos loved old Santorini, especially unoaked wines," Chrisou told me. While this wine is delicious now, it’s the sort of wine that would have delighted him with several more years in the cellar."
Jancis Robinson
"40- to 80-year-old Assyrtiko on volcanic and pumice soils in Pyrgos and Megalochori. Fermented in tank with indigenous yeasts, aged 12 months on lees and bottled unfiltered.
Deep gold. Very slightly reductive. Very full and rich on the palate. This has aged beautifully. Pungent finish. Such a bouquet of wild flowers in here. Explodes in the mouth. So much going on here! 18/20 points."
Vinous Reverie Notes
"Hatzidakis' last wine, Skitali 2016, is a marvel, aged for 12 months on its lees and every bit as impressive as a top grand cru white burgundy. I'd say it's worth every penny of its price tag" ~ Jancis Robinson
Skitali is the perfect illustration of what Greek wine will be missing without the inspirational Hatzidakis. The time on lees has given it incredible depth and great texture. A multi-dimensional, fascinating wine.
