The fierce, untamed nature of a legendary volcanic landscape defines the striking character of Anhydrous. Originally founded in 2012 as Avantis Santorini, this dynamic Greek estate was renamed for the 2021 vintage by visionary winemaker Apostolos Mountrichas and his wife Lenga Grigoriadou. Craving a bold creative reinvention, they chose the word Anhydrous - meaning without water - as a direct homage to the brutal, arid growing conditions of Santorini. Within a single decade, the duo has propelled the winery into the absolute premier tier of the island, farming a prized combination of estate plots and meticulously managed grower vineyards to capture the pure, raw energy of the Aegean.
The structural brilliance of these highly sought-after bottles is forged by a remarkable viticultural struggle. The island receives minimal rainfall during the blistering summer months, forcing the ancient, ungrafted vines to draw moisture almost entirely from dense morning sea sea fogs. To survive the punishing, gale-force Mediterranean winds, the plants are trained into the traditional kouloura, a fascinating basket-shaped vine system woven close to the earth where the leaves grow inward to shield the grapes. Rooted in poor, gravelly volcanic soils completely devoid of organic matter, these low-yielding vines produce tiny, thick-skinned berries with an average yield of just three tonnes per hectare, capping annual production at a rare 40,000 bottles.
For the everyday drinker seeking a white wine of unparalleled tension and drive, this collection offers an unforgettable exploration of the native Assyrtiko grape. Apostolos and Lenga masterfully employ a diverse range of vessels in the cellar, fermenting with wild indigenous yeasts inside traditional large Afoura oak casks, raw clay amphorae, and modern concrete eggs. The range steps from the vibrant, steel-tank entry level Anhydrous Santorini up to the textured, citrus-peel layers of the barrel-aged Afoura. The undisputed jewel is the signature Icon, sourced from sixty-year-old vines to deliver a breathtakingly crisp, flinty sea-salt finish with a razor-sharp natural acidity. These architectural Santorini wines possess an intense mineral core, making them spectacular pairings for charred octopus, pan-seared sea bass, or lemon and garlic roasted chicken.