ETA Early October 2026

95+ pts Wine Advocate
Drink Date: 2026 – 2038
Showing a solid build and unmistakable Santorini character, the Vassaltis Vineyards 2024 Santorini Gramina Cuvee des Vignerons offers sharp notes of citrus zest, lime and crushed stone framed by a pronounced salty edge. The wine is taut and mineral-driven, with hints of underripe stone fruit, wax and emerging hydrocarbon nuances, suggesting positive evolution ahead. Produced in 3,000 bottles, it is sourced from a selection of estate-owned and managed vineyards ranging from five to 80 years of age, chosen each year according to vintage conditions. Whole-cluster pressing, fermentation in stainless steel and an extended 15 months on the fine lees create texture and persistence. At this stage, the wine remains defined by its tension, but it should be fascinating to watch its evolution over the next five to 10 years.

Vassaltis Vineyards brings an interesting talking point to the debate over the future of Santorini viticulture. At a time when vineyard abandonment, declining yields and persistent drought threaten the long-term sustainability of the island's wine culture, proprietor Yannis Valambous is taking concrete action through new vineyard plantings and extensive experimentation with pruning techniques, clonal selection, planting methods and irrigation strategies. Most notably, the estate has embraced cordon-trained vines alongside Santorini's traditional basket-trained kouloura system—a controversial move, but it's one that raises important questions about how the island can balance tradition with economic viability in the decades ahead.

Since 2020, Vassaltis has expanded its vineyard holdings to 20 hectares, increasing the proportion of estate-grown fruit from 15% to more than 60% even as Santorini's overall vineyard production continues to shrink. The estate's own production has fallen dramatically from 90,000 bottles in 2022 to 35,000 bottles in 2025, underscoring the severity of the challenges facing growers across the island. Looking ahead, Vassaltis plans to plant an additional three hectares in 2027 while also expanding its focus to other islands in the Cyclades, pursuing a broader vision that seeks to capture the identity of the Aegean archipelago while helping secure the future of island viticulture.
Reviewed by: Monica Larner, Published: Jun 25, 2026


Gramina is, an astonishingly elegant wine that exhibits all the unique characteristics of the Assyrtiko variety.

Varietal Composition: 100% Assyrtiko from a single village: selected plots in Vourvoulos
Classification: Protected Designation of Origin Santorini (PDO)
Vinification and Elevage: A 100% Assyrtiko wine made from grapes hand picked before dawn from a single vineyard plot. Whole cluster pressed immediately upon arrival at the winery to preserve fruit freshness. The wine matures for 12 months on its lees. After bottling, the wine rests in our cellars for 7 more months before release.
Color: Gold, green tints
Nose: Rich and complex, ripe lemon and other citrus fruits, flint stone, bread, honey, jasmine, toast, saline.
Taste: Salt, citrus, stonefruits, balancing acidity, primary fruit, structured and concentrated , full bodied, very long after-taste.
Pairing Suggestions: This pairs well with all manner of grilled fish and seafood, roasted white meats, butter sauces, strong cheese, and even roasted lamb.
ABV: 13%
pH: 3.01 Res. Sugar: 0.0 gr/lt TA: 6.2 gr/lt VA: 0.4 gr/lt
Production: 3,669 bottles
Bottled: November 2025

~Winery~

The king of Greek grapes, Assyrtiko is not only one of the country’s most noble grapes, but also one of the most versatile, capable of producing bone dry to lusciously sweet wines and everything in between. A grape so deeply linked to the island; it is capable of reflecting minute differences in terroir.

Despite how long we in the wine world have used it, what terroir means to wine remains somewhat elusive. It captures big concepts like climate, aspect, soil, rainfall, sunshine hours, and even tradition, like Santorini’s basket vines. Essentially, terroir means somewhereness. We exalt wines that come from great terroir because they taste like somewhere. Whereas wines of lesser caliber taste like anywhere. One cannot artificially create somewhereness. So, when we find it, we celebrate its greatness.

Gramina comes from the Latin for ‘field’ and we knew that we had a very special one in Vourvoulos. Well, not an entire field, but a very special plot. Its generally homogenous character with respect to the age of the vines, their aspect, the high percentage of Assyrtiko, and the plot’s elevation all came together to grace our somewhereness with a little extra magic.

In order to not depreciate the magic, we pay extra attention each year when creating our Gramina. We get up before the sun does to ensure that grapes go from picking to pressing in under two hours. After fermenting in stainless steel tanks, the wine matures on its lees for 12 months, then rests for a further seven months in the bottle.

The end result is a cuvée du vigneron of structure and concentration. This full-bodied wine has all the exuberance of Santorini Assyrtiko’s intense mineral and smoky character with complex layers of  ripe citrus fruits, stone fruits, flowers, toast, and saline.