Assyrtiko Wild Ferment 2010

Gaia Wines was started up in 1994 by Yiannis Paraskevopoulos and Leon Karatsalos with the clear intention of showing everybody the potential of Greece’s old grape strains and placing the small, very fragmented wine-growing regions of the Peloponnese firmly on the map. Today Gaia has two wineries located at Nemea and another on the lovely island of Santorini, with the latter one greatly responsible for positioning these wines on the international market, since this modern winery which was constructed in 1900 and of great architectural beauty, houses the most up-to-date technology for carrying out production of the prestigious THALASSITIS, THALASSITIS OAK FERMENTED and, of course, the wine we are considering here.

Appearance

Straw-yellow coloured white wine with greenish and light glints, very attractive.

Nose

Very interesting. Hugely citrus. Floral notes entwined with saline notes. Some very delicate hints of white truffles come through.

Palate

A slightly sweet touch to the entry bringing to mind the warmth of its origins, but with good acid retention ability. The citrus notes revealed on the nose are there again and its considerable density is displayed on the palate. Balanced and very flavoursome. Surprising.

Remarks

With its tremendous personality, this wine upholds the Greek variety Assyrtiko in a most dignified way. A variety reviled in times past, along with many others of the local Mediterranean type, yet this wine is on a par with the great European whites, delighting all those consumers who want to sample the offerings of small Greek producers. And if the Olympian gods were dining, they would probably choose sea food or fish as an accompaniment, and sword fish Greek style, with onions, olive oil, bay leaves and lemon would be a simple but very tasty dish. If the Navagio beach is there in the background, perhaps they could send us a photo.

Serving temperature

from 10 to 12º C