GAIA | Thalassitis | Santorini | 2019
assyrtiko
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The wine we are going to review today is one that we hold dear to our hearts – a single-varietal assyrtiko wine from Santorini – Thalassitis Santorini 2019 by Gaia Wines. Assyrtiko is an indigenous greek variety valued for its ability to express terroir, native to the Santorini island in the south of Greece and perhaps, the only variety in the Mediterranean area that manages to combine full maturity of the grapes with natural high acidity, in spite of the hot climatic conditions of the island. The grapes selected for this particular wine are sourced from the vineyards in Episkopi, Akrotiri and Pyrgos regions, from ungrafted, 80-years-old vines. The vines are grown on porous soils that were formed by volcanic activity, thus extremely poor in nutrients and composed mainly of pumice. The lack of organic matter in the soil resulted in a self-sufficient, terroir-rich vineyard with no infection by phylloxera. That said, without further ado, let’s move on straight to our tasting results.
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:
//Visual
concentration: translucent
color: straw-yellow
clarity: starbright
hue/rim: straw-green
//Olfactory
intensity: powerful
fruit profile: green fruits | citrus fruits | stone fruits
__green fruits: gooseberry | green pear | green apple | wild pear | wild apple
__citrus fruits: lemon | lime | kiwi
__stone fruits: green apricot
fruit character: unripe & ripe
//Flavor
non fruit: herbal
__herbal: hay | straw grass | green grass | nettle | currant leaf
__wood: none
//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: high
alcohol: med(+)
tannin: med(+)
__grip: ripe
body: round & full
balance: good
__dominant: acidity
complexity: complex
//Taste
fruit profile: green fruits & citrus fruits
fruit character: unripe
non fruit: herbal
finish: med(+)
aftertaste: velvety & crisp
//Scoring
GAIA | Thalassitis | Santorini | 2019
variety: assyrtiko
country: Greece
region: Santorini
rating: 93.7
//Conclusion
maturity: in its prime | developing
verdict: great | a must try
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This is definitely a great wine of Greece and with a total of 93.7 points scored, this wine is right there, among the best wines we’ve rated so far. Check our complete database on the wine rating page, where you can find all the wines that we have tasted and reviewed or go to the about us page and find out more about our exquisite rating system.
Verdict: this is an outstanding assyrtiko wine that is right there, at the summit of its prime form, yet one that would easily stand for another year or two of bottle ageing, as all the prerequisites are there. It feels fresh, crisp and round, with a very appealing suppleness on the palate and a nuanced fruity-herbal profile. This is a wine that successfully managed to express the elegance of the assyrtiko variety and the romance of Santorini unique terroir. It tastes elegant and complex, lean and refined, with mouth-watering acidity, fine-grained ripe tannins, well integrated alcohol and an unmatched finesse and harmony that we haven’t tasted for a very long time in a white wine. In order to explore this wine at its full potential, we would suggest to pair it with naturally flavoured seafood dishes, like for example a classic greek shrimp saganaki or some santorini style lobster spaghetti, as a wine that can express the variety this much, deserves a perfect pairing – dishes that can highlight the terroir-driven flavours in the wine with the very finest, genuine ingredients in the food. Enjoy!
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© The WineStatistics ratings are based solely on our own knowledge of the world of wine and on our personal wine tastes, which may, or may not, differ from yours – the reader. Just remember that there are no absolutes of right and wrong in wine appreciation.
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WineStatistics is a non-profit community. We produce independent and highly detailed wine reviews.
By training ourselves to stop, take a breath, and pay attention to the subtle elements that distinguish one wine from any other, we learn an important lesson about life – that it’s worth taking the time to slow down and appreciate things that pleases us, from a glass of wine to a great work of art. It’s a simple way to learn to appreciate the little things in life that may in some small way enhance our enjoyment of every day.
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WineStatistics is a non-profit community. We produce independent and highly detailed wine reviews.
By training ourselves to stop, take a breath, and pay attention to the subtle elements that distinguish one wine from any other, we learn an important lesson about life – that it’s worth taking the time to slow down and appreciate things that pleases us, from a glass of wine to a great work of art. It’s a simple way to learn to appreciate the little things in life that may in some small way enhance our enjoyment of every day.
In order to continue our work we need support from people like you. People who appreciate our contribution in spreading wine knowledge and raising wine awareness across the borders.
You may now support us by contributing with a monthly donation so that we can review even more wines.
WineStatistics is a non-profit community. We produce independent and highly detailed wine reviews.
By training ourselves to stop, take a breath, and pay attention to the subtle elements that distinguish one wine from any other, we learn an important lesson about life – that it’s worth taking the time to slow down and appreciate things that pleases us, from a glass of wine to a great work of art. It’s a simple way to learn to appreciate the little things in life that may in some small way enhance our enjoyment of every day.
In order to continue our work we need support from people like you. People who appreciate our contribution in spreading wine knowledge and raising wine awareness across the borders.
You may now support us by contributing with a yearly donation so that we can review even more wines.
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