2022 Thalassitis Assyrtiko
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Tasting notes
Named after the Greek word for "coming from the sea," the Gai'a 2022 Santorini Assyrtiko Thalassitis opens to ashy mineral tones with hints of petroleum jelly that give the bouquet a more neutral personality. The wine is structured and dense, setting it up for a pairing with white meat or shellfish. The mid-weight close offers a flavor of salted butter. Extra stirring of the lees was completed in order to build up the mouthfeel. "Post COVID-19, we could hold onto the wines a bit longer," says proprietor Yiannis Paraskevopoulos.
Critic scores
Average Score
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
Assyrtiko. Smells of the sea. Briny citrus, stony/mineral. Smells of its location a few metres from the sea. Herbal, citrus flavours and a mouth-wateringly salty flavour. Dry, pure, intense and long. (JH)
This is their classic Santorini. Creamy, textured, rounded, so leesy that you barely see the high acid. Rich, dense, creamy, very little fruit flavour but a citrus shadow to support the mineraly saltiness. Huge volume in the mouth. TA 7.8 g/l. Surprising richness, along with the alcohol. ‘Aggressive acidity and tannin need lees work to balance', says winemaker Leto Paraskevopoulos. And I like the complexity of yeasty autolytic character in the aroma. (JH)
Assyrtiko. Aroma is distinctively stony-sour citrus. Pure, tight and salty on the palate. Lean but not too much so. So salty. Intense, deep and with the drama of the sea. (JH)