Founded in 1919, Domaine Papagiannakos is located in the Attica region of Central Greece, just 18 miles from Athens. Today, the winery is run by the 3rd generation, Vassilis Papagiannakos, who has issued a new era of modern winemaking while still maintaining the family’s dedication to developing and preserving the region’s most famous indigenous grape, Savatiano.
Location of Vineyard
Due to its proximity to Athens, Attica is one of the most well-developed and modern regions in Greece and is home to about a quarter of Greek vineyards. Attica is also the spiritual home of the native varietal, Savatiano, which accounts for almost 90% of the region’s production. Savatiano thrives in this hot, dry region, thanks to its natural resistance to drought.
Domaine Papagiannakos cultivates 150 acres of privately owned vineyards in Attica, primarily planted with Savatiano, along with small amounts of Malagouzia, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Agiorgitiko. The landscape is composed of undulating hills and natural streams running down from the surrounding mountains. The soils are a combination of limestone, clay and gravel which enables rainwater to drain well and the air to circulate in the soil. Central Greece is known as one of the hottest and driest regions in the country, with 320 days of sunshine. Breezes from the nearby Aegean Sea provide a moderating influence in the vineyards during the summer heat.
Winemaking Philosophy
Though many Greek producers treat Savatiano as a high-yielding workhorse grape, Vassilis Papagiannakos nurtures the grape’s potential for quality, identifying various micro-climates within the estate vineyards in order to create unique expressions of the varietal. Vassilis is a true champion of Greece’s indigenous grapes, and produces benchmark interpretations of Savatiano and Malagouzia with a range of vinification methods at the domain’s state-of-the-art, bioclimatic winemaking facility, which was built in 2007.
