Last week I had the chance to attend a wine tasting featuring their wines. The event was hosted by the Winebank Pavlidis and took place in the south of Athens, by the sea. Thanks go out to Kostas Katsoulieris, who alerted me to attend the tasting. Kostas is an active commentator on this blog, and I was looking forward to finally meet him in real life.

I arrived a little late, as the traffic was really bad, but made it just in time for the first wine to be poured. The first thing that hit me was that the location was packed. I guess that at least 40 people were attending. The owner of Gaia Wines, Yiannis Paraskevopoulos, presented a superb range of his wines. He talked about every wine in great detail, covering the work in the vineyards and the winery, giving very useful information about the vines, soil structure, harvest time, etc.  This was no marketing talk; instead it was one of the most educational conversations I have ever encountered at a wine tasting. There were many questions from the crowd and a high level of engagement. I  reported last year that the wine culture in Greece is changing. By now it becomes more evident than ever that consumers are eager to educate themselves about fine wines, and I have little doubt that this will have a positive and lasting impact on the Greek wine industry.

Santorini wines tasted, all 100% Assyrtiko:

Thalassitis 2009: A great vintage for Santorini – lots of ripe Citrus aromas, this is a serious wine with a lovely kick from the acidity, bone dry with a salty and very long finish.

Wild Ferment 2008: Only the natural wild yeasts are used for the fermentation. Half the wine is matured for 4 months in 80% new oak barrels. Dense and rich aromas of citrus, minerals and pan-fried butter. Full bodied with great level of acidity, very round, its structure reminds me of a great Montrachet. Very long finish. AVIN3193961754611

Thalassitis 2008: Lots of mineral, lemon and butter aromas, full-bodied, extremely dry, this screams for food, one can nearly taste the salt from the sea, very long.

Nemea wines tasted, apart from Gaia S all 100% Agiorgitiko:

Agiorgitiko 2008: Aged in old barrels, the wine has intense cherry aromas, supple and elegant on the palate with soft tannins.

Gaia S 2007: A blend of 70% Agiorgitiko and 30% Syrah, it shows intense spicy cherry aromas, bundled with an earthy character. Meaty on the palate, elegant with a well integrated tannin structure and a very long finish.

Gaia Estate 2006: Aged for 14 months in 60% new barrels. Nose of ripe black cherries and dark chocolate, powerful palate, concentrated dark fruit, smooth and balanced, finishes long.

Gaia Estate 2004: More spicy than the 2006 vintage, morello cherries, vanilla and roasted almonds, very powerful on the palate, tannins are quite evident, no shortage of acidity, full with a very long finish.

Gaia Estate 2000: Some maturity on rim, aromas of cherry jam, tea and roasted almonds. On the palate it is very feminine and soft in style, yet full of life. The tannins are soft and fully integrated, the finish silky. Perfect to drink now, a great example that well made Agiorgitiko has ageing potential.

Anatolikos 2001: A sweet wine from sun dried grapes, aged in 5-year old barrels. Nose of sweet cherries, prunes and honey, almost port-like. It is fairly full-bodied on the palate, yet elegant with an almost rich sweetness.

The icing of the cake for me came in the form of a Gaia Estate Magnum 2004, signed by Yiannis Paraskevopoulos. Every participant of the tasting event wrote his or her name on a piece of paper and a random winner was picked. The stars must have aligned for me that evening, as my name was pulled out. This treasure now has a special place in my wine cellar.

The report is based on first-hand experience; the publisher visited the island and met with many of the growers. One fact that immediately caught my attention is the high level of due diligence that took place: Sofia Perpera and George Athanis contributed to the report. Sofia Sigala , Iliana Sidiropoulos , and other winemakers from Santorini provided information. Konstantinos Lazarakis MW and Angelos Noulas read and commented on drafts of the report. This clearly shows that the report has been carefully drafted and is a viable source of information.

After a short but solid introduction, the reader is presented with the history of the island. This section might appeal only to those that wish to find out who ruled Santorini during different periods of time, but I learned some interesting facts that I was not yet aware of.

The next part covers the soil, climate and vineyards of the island. This is a must read for everyone who likes to get a better sense of why the wines of Santorini are so unique. Relaying many facts in just more than one page can easily make for an uneasy reading experience, but here, the words just flow. I enjoyed reading this part a lot.

In the following few segments, the input of the “insiders” really shows. The segment on viticulture includes paragraphs on vine pruning, pests and diseases. Details about yields and vine density, and the growers strive to experiment with the cultivation of grapes are well researched. The unique pruning and training systems are explained, and the problem of weeds is pointed out. The most important grape varieties are also discussed in a short and to the point style.

In the winemaking section the typical harvest times for the main varieties are given. Every wine geek will love the detailed description of the fermentation and yeasts. This was actually my favourite part. Different options for oak treatment that the growers are experimenting with are pointed out. The aging potential for Assyrtiko wines is discussed and backed up by personal tasting notes taken at a symposium in Santorini. And of course a section on how Vinsanto is made is not missing.

Next comes a piece on pairing Assyrtiko with food. The Sommelier of the Zaytinya Restaurant in Washington picks a handful of food groups to go with this wine. The choices did not surprise me, as I often enjoy Assyrtiko with similar dishes, but anyone should go along with the recommendations and try the suggested pairings. Two recipes are also included.

A discussion of the future for Santorini and Assyrtiko rounds up the main part of the report and asks the question if tourism and winegrowing can continue to exist side by side.

The last pages of the report introduce the main wineries of the island and include tasting notes and ratings on different wines for each estate. This section is geared towards US subscribers and does list the various importers through which the wines can be purchased in the US.

If you like studying reports that go way beyond scratching the surface of their subject, then this is for you. It is very educational and includes a few real gems of information. It is not meant as a quick read – although the writing style is anything but boring, the sheer amount of information given needs the attention of the reader.

Is it worth taking up a subscription in order to gain access? There is still far too little high quality information available on Greek wines. I put out all my content for free, but my motives are different. The i-winereview publishes top notch content, and I know how many working hours are needed to succeed in doing so. For $ 25.00 you get access to 19 reports from which a lot can be learned. I am sure of one thing: After studying this report on Santorini, the next glass of Assyrtiko will speak to you in a whole new language. You can find an article from me on Santorini here.

Disclaimer: Apart from linking to a free article on their site, I am not affiliated with The International Wine Review in any way, nor do I have any financial interest in regards to their publications. In fact, this review might have well been unfavourable if the report would not have met my own standards.