GAI'A Estate Agiorgitiko

GAI'A Estate Agiorgitiko bottle image

Wine Description

One of the pioneers of the modern Greek wine revolution, Gai’a Estate (pronounced Yay-ya) was established in 1994 by Leon Karatsalos and winemaker Yiannis Paraskevopoulos. Their mission was to capture the best that Greece’s indigenous grapes have to offer by merging traditional viticultural and production methods with innovative techniques. The estate is named after “Mother Earth,” in honor of the unique terroir that gives birth to these world-class wines.

GAI'A Santorini beach tasting
GAI'A Nemea Vineyards
Nemea Winery
Santorini Winery
Yiannis Paraskevopoulos and Leon Karatsalos
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Acclaim
“Coffee, wild-cherry and wet stone aromas start this bold and intriguing red. Still young but nevertheless delicious, it offers flavors of plum, warming spices and prune. The finish is fresh and spicy.”
— Wine Enthusiast, Jun 2019
“A supple, medium-bodied red, with pure black cherry and mulberry fruit flavors laced with delicate oak spice, graphite and sweet smoke notes. Lightly chewy on the aromatic finish.”
— Wine Spectator, Sep 2018
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Vineyard & Production Info
Soil composition
Calcareous
Exposure:
Southwestern
First vintage of this wine:
1997
Bottles produced of this wine:
10,400
Average Vine Age:
40 years
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Winemaking & Aging
Prefermentation Technique:
Cold soak
Time on its skins:
2-3 days
Varietal composition:
100% Agiorgitiko
Fining agent:
None
Size of aging container:
225 L
Type of oak:
French
Length of aging before bottling:
12-14 months
Total SO2
95
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Analytical Data
pH level:
3.6
Acidity:
6.1 g/L
Alcohol:
15 %
Total SO2
95
Residual sugar:
3.7 g/L
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Wine Production

After harvest, the grapes are destemmed, crushed and cold soaked (53°F) with the skins for 2-3 days in order to maximize extraction of the dark red-black color of the fruit and well-structured tannins. The wine is aged in new 225L French oak casks from the Nevers and Allier forests, during which time the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation. The final wine is bottled without filtration in order to preserve the exceptional personality of the ripe Agiorgitiko varietal and the character of the Nemea terroir. 

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About the Vineyard

The grapes for the Gai’a Estate come from a 40-year-old estate vineyard, located in the Koutsi region of Nemea, at an altitude of 1,800ft. The climate is moderately cool at this mid-level elevation, resulting in grapes that are concentrated in flavor with well-developed tannins and balanced acidity. The 17.3 acre vineyard is located on a Southwest facing slope, and is closely monitored so that yields remain low.