Gaia Assyrtiko Wild Ferment

One of the pioneers of the modern Greek wine revolution Gaia Estate was established in 1994 by Greek winemakers Leon Karatsalos and Yiannis Paraskevopoulos. Operating from two different wineries in the important wine growing regions of Nemea and Santorini, they have earned a reputation for making cutting-edge wines. Gaia's main aim is to explore the boundaries and present the potential of the indigenous Greek grape varieties to wine enthusiasts worldwide.

Climatic conditions in Santorini were extremely challenging in 2023. Very low rainfall (185 mm throughout 2023, compared to the norm of 320 mm) was compounded by a hailstorm in April, and sudden rains in June which have never been seen before. Combined with heatwaves in July, the result was a huge drop in production. On average, Santorini produced far less grapes that any other year in the past 30 years. Compared to vintage 2022, Gaia’s Assyrtiko yields were down by 65%. However, the few wines that were produced were excellent in terms of aroma, structure, minerality and acidity underlining the fact that Assyrtiko is so well adapted to these extreme weather conditions.

The Assyrtiko vineyard is located in Santorini. The terroir is recognised worldwide for its tremendous historical roots, as the vineyards in this area date back 3,000 years. The low-yielding, 80 year old, self rooted vines are grown in soils which are poor in organic matter. The high sand content has ensured they have never been affected by phylloxera. The soils are also volcanic: porous with a high mineral content, which imparts the mineral quality to the wine. The long sunshine hours, lack of rainfall, sea mists and strong summer winds all contribute to the unique microclimate. The surrounding Aegean Sea acts as a "climatic buffer" which softens the climate, so the extreme conditions are reduced. The vines are trained on traditional basket shaped systems called "kouloura"

The hand-picked grapes were destemmed, crushed and cold soaked for 12 hours with skin contact at 10°C. The free run juice was then fermented naturally, using only natural yeasts. 45% of the must was fermented in stainless steel tanks at low temperatures, 45% in wooden casks (15% French oak, 15% American oak, 15% in acacia casks). The remaining 10% was in ceramic vats. The temperature was allowed to rise naturally without any further intervention. From here, modern technology passed the baton to traditional winemaking and fermentation developed at its own, gradual pace, with the prevailing yeast strains determining the wine's final character. The wine was aged on its fine lees for four to six months with bâtonnage.