GAI'A Nychteri

GAI'A Nychteri

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. Nychteri represents a modern take on a traditional recipe.

GAI'A Santorini beach tasting
GAI'A Nemea Vineyards
Nemea Winery
Santorini Winery
Yiannis Paraskevopoulos and Leon Karatsalos
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Acclaim
“There's a mineral buzz to this wine's golden fruit, a Nychteri made to age. The style was originally based on night-harvested grapes sent immediately to press; now, it tends to be a selection of ripe Santorini with relatively high potential alcohol, aged in oak. Tara Q. Thomas felt it was not old enough to show its best. "There's so much wine here—salty and fruity, in a preserved lemon way." Then caramel comes up, the oak augmenting the wine's structure for aging. John Szabo MS called out the wine as ‘riveting—smoky and stony,’ benefitting from the extreme growing conditions of Santorini with happy stress." – Gold — Wine & Spirits, Jun 2024
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Vineyard & Production Info
Production area/appellation:
PDO SANTORINI
Soil composition
Volcanic
Elevation:
164 - 820 feet
Average Vine Age:
70 - 80 years
Certified Eco-Friendly Practices:
Practices (not certified)
Certifying Organizations:
Vegan Certified
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Winemaking & Aging
Varietal composition:
100% Assyrtiko
Fermentation container:
oak barrels
Maceration technique:
Skin cold soaking for 12 hours at 10 °C prior to fermentation
Malolactic fermentation:
no
Fining agent:
Bentonite & cold stabilization. No animal products or allergens have been used.
Size of aging container:
300 L and 225 L
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Analytical Data
pH level:
3.0
Acidity:
6.86 g/L
Alcohol:
14 %
Residual sugar:
2.3 g/L
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Wine Production

Skin cold soaking for 12 hours at 10°C, followed by fermentation entirely in oak barrels (50% 300L French oak, 30% 225L American oak, 20% 22 L French acacia, 40% new, 60% second use or older). Maturation occurs in each medium separately for about 6 months, with frequent battonage.

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About the Vineyard

100% Assyrtiko from 70-80 year old vines at elevations between 50 - 250m, with a particularly low yield per hectare (320-380 kg). The combination of this low yield per hectare with the soil and the variety gives a wine exuberant, edgy, and strong personality.