Gaia Wines' 'Monograph Assyrtiko' is a characterful wine that will tantalize the senses. With a youthful and refreshing taste, this Assyrtiko offers a delicious citrus and tropical fruit bouquet with a delicate touch of honeysuckle. It has a minerally backbone and a crisp finish that make it an ideal accompaniment for seafood (as the label suggests), or a sublime refresher in the company of friends.

Critic Review

JancisRobinson.com: 16
Drinking Window: Now - 2025

"Lemon and pear fruits. Stony and fresh but more lemony than typical Santorini Assyrtiko. A little salty. Fresh and fruity. ‘Minerality is varietal’, not just the soil, suggests winemaker Yiannis Paraskevopoulos. High acidity, really crisp."
Julia Harding MW

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 two different wineries they make cutting edge wines in both Nemea and Santorini. Gaia's main aim is to present the potential of the indigenous Greek grape varieties to wine enthusiasts worldwide.

Vineyard and Winery

The Assyrtiko grapes are grown in the in semi-mountainous limestone soils of Koutsi of Nemea. The soils are rich in calcium carbonate with relatively neutral pH, and like most limestone soils in Greece they have low organic matter content. The 15-year old vines are planted at 600 metres altitude with a south-westerly orientation where the Assyrtiko vines flourish in the free- draining soils. The winters are relatively cold and wet, with temperatures that rarely fall below 0°C. Summers are hot, but without excessive temperatures, however, a few thunderstorms in June are common. A long autumn follows and the warm days and cool nights of September combined with typically dry conditions, form ideal conditions for the maturation of the grapes. The vineyard is carefully pruned very strictly to reduce the yields in order to produce fruit with concentrated flavours.

The carefully selected grapes were chilled to 4°C before being destemmed and gently pressed. The must was fermented with selected yeasts in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks, to retain the purity of fruit. The wine was made without any oak influence to preserve the fresh and varietal characteristics of the Assyrtiko grapes and the distinctive expression of the Nemea terroir.