Description

ABOUT THE PRODUCER:
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.

ABOUT THE VINEYARD:
Agiorgitiko is a fragrant red wine grape native to Greece’s Peloponnese peninsula. The vineyards are located near to Koutsi, a semi-mountainous village. The vineyards here are known for their chalky soils and good drainage. The cool temperatures, the ideal sun exposure and the steep inclination of the vineyards combine to produce lower yields than other parts of Nemea, but the berries have excellent concentration of flavour.

THE WINEMAKING PROCESS:
Selected grapes were hand-picked, destemmed and crushed, followed by a cold soak for approximately 48 hours at 10°C. The must was inoculated with selected yeasts and fermented for approximately two weeks at temperatures between 22 to 26°C, with regular pump overs and some plunging of the cap. Malolactic conversion followed, and the wine was aged in oak casks for 12 months, of which 90% was French oak (10% new) and 10% was American oak (10% new). The wine was cold-stabilised before being cellared.

OUR TASTING NOTE:
Agiorgitiko is the red grape of Nemea, making silky smooth, fruit-packed reds with a velvety finish. This cuvée shows intense aromatic finesse evolving from ripe berries and gooseberry through to caramel and discreet oak nuances. Soft tannins underline a rich, well-structured velvety body.

GRAPE VARIETY:
Agiorgitiko 100%.