{"api":{"host":"https:\/\/pinot.decanter.com","authorization":"Bearer ZDE0YjI1MGM3ZjkzYjllN2I2NjhmNGVjOTY5MTc0YWJhZTc1YjRhOTIxZmZhOTAzY2RlOGE2NWZiNTU2YWQ1NA","version":"2.0"},"piano":{"sandbox":"false","aid":"6qv8OniKQO","rid":"RJXC8OC","offerId":"OFPHMJWYB8UK","offerTemplateId":"OFPHMJWYB8UK","wcTemplateId":"OTOW5EUWVZ4B"}}

Can Assyrtiko be oaked? – ask Decanter

Our expert explains everything...

Assyrtiko: oaked or not?

P McGlynn, Edinburgh, asks: I was at a dinner with friends and they served a wine blind before dinner.

I thought it might have been Sauvignon Blanc, but there were definitely toasty, woody notes.

It turned out to be Assyrtiko, which confused me, as I thought it was only unoaked. Are oaked versions becoming more fashionable?

Joanna Simon replies: It was a good guess! The variety’s powerful mineral character, citrus intensity and high acidity could easily be taken for Sauvignon Blanc.

As for oak, most Greek Assyrtikos are unoaked, but fermenting and/or ageing in oak isn’t new.



Two of the Assyrtiko-based wine classifications for Santorini actually prescribe oak ageing: a minimum of 24 months for the sweet Vinsanto and three months for the bone-dry Nykteri, but many of the producers of oaked dry Assyrtiko today don’t use the Nykteri classification.

If anything, oak is being used a little less than a few years ago, or at least more sensitively.

There are still some heavy-handed examples, but far fewer than before.

Applied carefully, oak works well with Assyrtiko: it can add depth and breadth plus toasty flavours that complement Assyrtiko’s piercingly intense flavour profile and high acidity.


  • Got a question for Decanter’s experts? Email us: editor@decanter.com or on social media with #askDecanter

More questions answered:

Premium Cava classification – ask Decanter

Cava has introduced a new top tier classification for single-estate wines...

Latest Wine News