Akriotou Microwinery Orivatis: Scaling a Mountain to Redemption
The Turkish wine import market is kind of arid in terms of volume and variety. Imported wines also cost about as a much as would ice water in the depths of the Sahara. I am therefore very selective about the few wines I’m allowed to bring home. And because there are so many wines to try, only rarely do I buy a wine more than once. The Akriotou Wild Mountaineer is one of those.
I first encountered it one year at Oenorama in Athens and was just so struck by it. Of course we all know that I love a grape comeback story, and the Wild Mountaineer features one of Greece’s hardest won victories.
Akriotou Microwinery
Vasiliki Akriotou had been working as an oenologist in Central Greece since 1997 when she decided to start her own line of wines. In 2015, she struck out on her own to create Akriotou Microwinery. In vineyards at the foot of Mount Kithaironas in Central Greece and on the island of Evia she cultivates a mix of native and international grapes including Savatiano, Assyrtiko, Aidani, Mandilaria, Liatiko, Vradiano, Malagouzia, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, and Pinot Noir.
Her Ορειβάτης, or Orivatis (Mountaineer), white wines made with Savatiano tell the story of the difficult path that one must follow to produce high-quality wine. I might add that it also symbolizes the difficult path trod by the wineries working to change people’s perception of this grape. Which nicely segues us into talking about one Greece’s most maligned grape varieties.
Savatiano
Savatiano (sav-vah-tee-ah-no) or, Savvatiano, is one of – if not the! – most maligned grapes in Greece. Why? Because, for years, Savatiano was used almost exclusively to make cheap Retsina. And while well-made Retsina can be a delight, the cheap stuff, and the grape behind it, is a shadow from behind which the Greek wine industry has fought hard to emerge.
One of the most common varieties found in Greece, Savatiano plantings are concentrated in eastern Central Greece, especially Attica where it takes up some 80% of total grape plantings. It’s still used for Retsina, for more wineries are coming out with quality bottlings of still white and sparkling wines. It’s attached to several protected geographic indication appellations in Central Greece:
- P.G.I. Slopes of Kithaironas
- P.G.I. Attiki, P.G.I. Karystos
- P.G.I. Retsina of Mesogia Traditional Appellation
Savatiano wines offer flavors ranging from yellow fruit, apples, stone fruit, and flowers with fresh acidity. Basic wines should be drunk within one to two years of harvest, but more complex wines, for example those aged in oak or made from old, bush vines, are ageing well. High-quality, aged Savatiano takes on honeyed and nutty flavors and a deeper texture. While you’re safe hanging onto such bottles for as many as eight years, some Attica wineries suggest these might age even longer.
Akriotou Microwinery Savatiano
Now that we know a bit about this grape and its slow climb from infamy to esteem, we can circle back to Arkiotou’s vineyards.
The vineyards grow on the historic Plataea of Viotia in Central Greece. Here in the foothills of Mount Kithaironas, goblet vines ranging in age from 40 to 60(+) sit between 280 and 380 meters. Vines are low yielding and completely hand worked as bush vines must be and the resulting Savatiano wines fall under the PGI Slopes of Kithaironas appellation.
Orivatis – The Mountaineer, 2024
The first of the two Orivatis wines we opened was the fresher wine. It was nice to see the screw cap on it. My experience is that few quality wines end up under screw caps in Greece, so it was especially nice to see that kind of closure on a wine like this.
It’s stainless steel all the way for this wine, from fermentation to where it aged on the lees for four months before bottling. The golden hay colored wine brought to mind a cornucopia overflowing with golden apples, Santa Maria pears, and white flowers. Medium-bodied and dry with a silky texture and acidity that came in as a nice supporting character.
Orivatis – The Wild Mountaineer, 2022
While this starts life in the same place, the Akriotou Wild Mountaineer’s journey is far more involved. No crushing for these grapes, free run juice only sits in chill temperatures to allow some skin contact to begin spontaneous fermentation. The wine sits for 18 months on the lees with regular stirring before bottling then another four months cellaring.
Paler in color, this version really wants a little time to open and to be a step closer to room temperature to really express its full depth of flavor. And when it does…wow. Orange blossom scented shortbread lends richness lifted by citrus and green almonds that drift together on a creamy palate carried by vibrant acidity.
Funnily enough, the tasting notes on the winery’s English website are different than the notes on the Greek site. I don’t really know what to think about that. Regardless, this is definitely a wine people should be trying.
To explore more Greek grapes, check out my book: The Quick and Dirty Guide to Greek Wine! Also available as an e-book.
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