01i) Savatiano
Savatiano is the single most important grape variety in Attiki and overall, the most planted variety in the Greek vineyard. It meets its finest expression in the low-yielding, old bush-trained, vines found throughout the different wine-growing areas of the region. Such wines are placed in the category of Greece's best whites that easily relay the message of local terroir. These are wines that clearly and loudly speak of their origin. A new generation of young winemakers are leaving their mark by producing a new wave of such exciting styles under the different PGI designations of Attiki. Innovation, tradition, experimentation, research, investment, passion and knowledge are the driving forces behind the grape's recent transformation.
Savatiano, can be found under many different synonyms in different regions: Lefki Kontoura, Aspri Dobraina, Sakeiko, Savathiano, Perahoritiko are just a few of them. It has large compact clusters, with medium-sized berries. It is very resistant to drought and fungal diseases and ripens relatively late, in early to mid-September, depending on the year and location of the vineyard.
Eastern Attiki boasts an impressive number of old bush-vines planted on poor limestone soils. The old roots go very deep, the yields are naturally restricted by conditions and the wines display excellent depth of fruit and mineral characteristics. These are dazzling, unique, authentic wines with excellent ageing potential. Aged Savatiano is not a recent novelty. Long before the late-release versions currently on the market, the first aged Savatiano was produced long ago in 1935, as told in the book 'Andreas Kambas', The Patriarch of Mesogeia'. A pioneer of the style of bottle aging for 8 years prior to its release. A stunning 200,000 bottles were produced.
Savatiano produces wines with moderate fruity aromas, reminiscent of apples, peaches and tropical fruits, such as melon and banana. Quite often there are also hints of flowers such as jasmine and citrus blossoms and some herbal undertones. The palate, is medium-bodied, with moderate, yet balanced acidity and develops greater complexity after a few years of bottle aging. This holds true especially for those wines that are sourced from older, low-yielding vines. As some of the latest quality bottlings indicate, Savatiano can age gracefully for up to a decade or more, developing aromas of honey, toasted nuts and a petrol-like minerality. Upon reaching full maturation, these wines develop a delicious, rich and extremely complex character. Some people compare them to the style of an aged Semillon from Hunter valley, but with lower acidity levels.
In general, there are two broad categories of styles. Some of the wines can be pleasantly fruity, easy drinking, with a great ratio of price to quality. However, Savatiano can be much more than just a simple, pleasant wine. Producers are seeking to create unique styles by working hard both in the vineyard and the winery. The resulting wines are fascinating, with extra layers of complexity and great depth. Vineyard age is considered to be very important as well as the low-yields and limestone soils. Lately, there has been an ongoing experimentation with barrel-fermented versions of Savatiano, skin-contact whites, and wines with minimal intervention. Another recent novelty is the release of older vintages from the wineries. These wines are left to age in the cellars and are sold as late releases, highlighting the variety's ageing potential.
Savatiano can also be blended with grape varieties such as Roditis, Assyrtiko and Malagousia. These blends are sold under the designation PGI Attiki (ΠΓΕ Αττική), or other local PGIs.
021935: the first aged Savatiano
The single most quotable fact on this page deserves more than one sentence, because it settles an argument that Savatiano is still having ninety years later.
The idea that Savatiano can age is usually treated as a recent discovery — a by-product of lower yields, better cellars and a generation of producers with something to prove. It is not. In 1935 a Savatiano was bottled, held back for eight years before release, and produced in a quantity of two hundred thousand bottles. That is not an experiment or a single barrel kept aside. It is a commercial decision, taken at scale, by someone who already knew what the wine would do with time.
The number matters as much as the date. Two hundred thousand bottles means the producer expected a market for aged Savatiano in the 1940s — which in turn means the wine's ageing capacity was understood, and valued, long before the region's modern reputation was built or lost.
The late releases now appearing from Attiki wineries are therefore not an innovation. They are a return.
03Savatiano's food-friendly character
When it comes to food pairings, Savatiano is a versatile grape and can be paired with a multitude of different dishes. Fresh and fruity styles are ideal with poultry, vegetables, fish, shellfish and white cheese. Some great pairing ideas are fresh green salads, ratatouille, cheese and vegetable pies, sushi, calamari (especially fried), pasta with vegetables and roasted chicken.
A fattier and more mature style will be perfect with grilled, fish, slow-cooked pork, meat casseroles with vegetables, as well as with fried meatballs.
04ii) Other indigenous varieties
Although Savatiano dominates the plantings in Attiki, other Greek grape varieties can also be found in the local vineyards.
White and Pink-skinned grapes. In qualitative terms, the most important other white varieties there are Assyrtiko and Malagousia, followed by Athiri and Aidani.
Assyrtiko is highly adapted to the dry, warm conditions that prevail in Attiki and its plantings are constantly increasing. It produces high-quality examples that are closer in style to the taut, high-acid island expressions of Assyrtiko. They display high acidity and greater austerity compared to the more aromatic expressions from mainland Greece. Malagousia wines are assertive, bursting with fruity aromas and spiciness. On higher slopes with a slightly cooler climate, the wines display greater elegance and freshness. The grape performs very well in cooler years.
Reds. Undoubtingly, Attiki is white wine territory, however, there are minor plantings of red grapes destined for the production of rosé and red PGI wines. Among these grapes, Agiorgitiko is the most important followed by Mandilaria. The latter is used in the production of refreshing rosés and dry red PGI wines. Because of its phenolic character, Mandilaria is usually blended with other red grapes. During the last decade, a number of other Greek varieties, such as Limniona and Mouchtaro are slowly finding a place in Attiki's vineyard.
05iii) International Grapes
It should be noted that there are also some very well-adapted international grapes in the vibrant vineyards of Attiki.
Red grapes. Red international varieties have a greater presence in the vineyard than international white grapes. Cabernet Sauvignon does extremely well here, either as monovarietal or as a blend. The wines are rich with great depth of fruit and tannic structure. The best will age gracefully in the bottle. Merlot and Syrah are used in the production of refreshing rosés, fruity reds and fully bodied, barrel aged wines. The latter display great ageing potential.
White grapes. Plantings of white international varieties are limited as they do not thrive easily in the dry and warm environment of Attica. Chardonnay is relatively important and Sauvignon Blanc is grown mostly in the cooler sub-regions of Attiki.
06Saying the varieties out loud
Greek stress is not decorative: it moves, and it changes the word. Savatiano is stressed on the last syllable, not the third, and almost every English speaker gets it wrong on the first try. Stress is marked below in capitals.
- Savatiano — sa-va-tya-NO
- Assyrtiko — a-SEER-ti-ko
- Roditis — ro-DEE-tis
- Malagousia — ma-la-gu-ZYA
- Aidani — a-i-DHA-ni
- Athiri — a-THEE-ri
- Agiorgitiko — a-yor-YEE-ti-ko
- Limniona — lim-nee-O-na
- Mandilaria — man-dee-la-RYA
- Mouchtaro — MOOKH-ta-ro
