Gaia Monograph Assyrtiko 2019
Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesThe 2019 Assyrtiko Monograph is unoaked, dry and comes in at 12.5% alcohol. This is not, to be clear, from the winery's Santorini holdings. Even so, it is the priciest of the Monographs this issue. It still does great. Seeming solid in the mid-palate, it shows fine structure as well. The fruit is lifted on the fresh finish and it lingers nicely, textured and tasty. For all that it leans to structure rather than fruitiness—like its Moschofilero sibling this issue—it does have fruit that demonstrates some expressiveness. That won't be its strong suit, though. Overall, this is an Assyrtiko built to be refreshing in warm weather. It should hold well for a few years, maybe more, but it will certainly be fine this summer if you choose to wait. For the moment, I'm leaning up on this. It will be interesting to see if it develops and holds gracefully.
Home of Greece’s famous and praise-worthy red variety, Agiorgitiko, Nemea is part of the Peloponnese.
A crisp white variety full of zippy acidity, Assyrtiko comes from the volcanic Greek island of Santorini but is grown increasingly wide throughout the country today. Assyrtiko’s popularity isn’t hard to explain: it retains its acid and mineral profile in a hot climate, stands alone or blends well with other grapes and can also withstand some age. Somm Secret—On the fairly barren, windswept Mediterranean island of Santorini, Assyrtiko vines must be cultivated in low baskets, pinned to the ground. The shape serves to preserve moisture and protect the growing grapes in its interior.