Assyrtiko

The first planting of this native Greek variety in Australia (in 2012), this is only the fourth vintage to be released. It's still finding its way style-wise. This vintage is less ripe and fleshy than previous years and has a leaner, more austere, Riesling-like profile. There's a petrol and paraffin character upfront. Once it opens more, lemon balm, green tea, honeysuckle and a saline note peak through the cracks. The palate is refreshing, with elevated, if a touch shrill, acidity and a slightly creamy texture. There's little fruit or flavor in general to be found here but it may gain complexity with more time in the bottle.

Peter Barry first tasted Assyrtiko in August 2006 while on holiday with wife Sue on the Greek island of Santorini, the birthplace of the grape. Unlike most tourists, he went directly home and set about importing the vine, running it through quarantine and finally planting it in 2012 at his Lodge Hill Vineyard in Clare Valley. The Assyrtiko is uncannily Greek despite it's new found home. The colour is straw pale, the nose is a magnetic storm of citrus blossoms and Meyer lemons with a squeeze of guava and honeydew melon. The mid-palate is fresh and slaty with more limey notes and a perfectly crisp finish. This stuff is gulpable. Attention BC: we should see if this can survive winter. Perfect with halibut fishcakes, or asparagus.