Description
As Greek wines have emerged onto the world stage in the past decades, few businesses have been as integral, or as influencial as Gaia. Holding vineyards in both Santorini and Nemea, they produce some of the country’s most sought after wines. They have set benchmarks in what been referred to as the ‘last frontier of the Wine World’.
Ktima Gaia was launched in 1994 by agronomist Leon Karatsalos and oenologist Yiannis Paraskevopoulos and has since produced many ground-breaking wines that have defined the current styles. Their Thalassitis Assyrtiko, the first wine produced by the Estate, is an exercise in class and shows complex minerality in a way that expresses the true greatness of the Assyrtiko Grape. A tiny production of ‘underwater-aged’ Assyrtiko, released after 4 years and named ‘The Submerged’, is a true collector’s wine that demonstrates the ease with which this variety holds the years.
Establishing their Nemea winery in 1997 closely followed by their Santorini facility in 2001, has allowed Leon and Yannis to work fastidiously at their craft and Gaia has grown to become one of the worlds great wine Estates.
About this wine from the winery: “Thalassitis is produced from Santorini’s indigenous white grape variety, Assyrtiko. All the Assyrtiko grapes selected for Thalassitis originate exclusively from vineyards in the Episkopi, Akrotiri and Pyrgos regions. The vines in these regions are almost 80 years old. The particularly low yield that never exceeds 25 hl/ha combined with the local terrain and variety, result in an exuberant wine with a strong personality.
“Enjoy it at 10oC with seafood, fish, shellfish or even lamb stewed in lemon sauce, generally with flavors of moderate intensity, where salt, brine or oil predominate. Don’t forget to pour Thalassitis into a wide decanter half an hour before serving. You will definitely be pleased by the result! You may wish to age Thalassitis for a further 2-3 years, which will result in its mineral dimension diminishing, while its fruity and honey aromas will expand.”
Calling all you white wine aficionados/collectors forget white burgundy or 1re Cru Chablis and try this unique varietal ! This extraordinary wine is the perfect accompaniment to oysters and seafood.
Winner of Classic White Wine of the Year 2023 by Decanter Magazine. Among 153 wines from 29 different global vineyard countries proposed by Decanter experts in this blind tasting.
“Gaia Estate is one of the pioneers of the modern Greek wine revolution, founded on the Aegean island of Santorini in 1994 by winemakers Leon Karatsalos and Yiannis Paraskevopoulos (who also opened a winery in Nemea, on the mainland, in 1997). Made since the island winery’s inception, Thalassitis challenged the standards for dry Greek wine, and today remains one of the standard-bearers of the indigenous Assyrtiko grape. Fruit for this wine is sourced from very low-yielding, self-rooted 80-year-old vines on volcanic slopes of up to 250m in Episkopi, Akrotiri and Pyrgos. It is unoaked to accentuate the fruit purity and distinctive minerality, sees no malolactic fermentation in order to retain freshness, and is left on lees for four months with regular stirring to add texture and complexity.”
“Minerals galore. Like the smell of rain, the taste of wet slate, with a briny oyster shell tang. When the fruit shows through it is all fresh lemon juice – crisp, bright and bitey. Takes you straight to Greece and the sea and salty air – just needs sun and some grilled octopus.” 95 points, Tina Gellie, Decanter.
RRP $83 Our Special Price $64.99 when you buy 6 or more of this wine.
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