Profile

Structure

Bodyfull
Tanninlow
Acidityhigh
Sweetnessdry
Finishlong
Oaknone or neutral

Drinking window

Best 3 to 15 years from vintage.

vintage3 yrs15 yrs17 yrs

Critic scores

No critic score is published for this bottle that we can cite with a reviewer, a vintage and a review year, so none is shown. The rating above is our own.

In the glass

Full-bodiedLow tanninHigh acidityDryLong finish

What it pairs with

With cheese

San Michali Our pick San Michali is a hard cow's milk cheese, salty, sharp and piquant. A full-bodied Santorini Assyrtiko, given time in oak or on its lees, has the weight to meet it, and its high acidity cuts the salt and fat.

How to serve Gaia Wild Ferment Assyrtiko

Allow 35 minutes from open to pour.

  1. Open and decant. Open 30 minutes before serving and pour into a decanter to aerate.
  2. Serve at 10-12°C. Cellar temperature (10-12°C) is the band for this style. Warmer pushes alcohol forward; colder dampens aromatics.
  3. Glassware. Use a medium-sized white-wine glass: the bowl shape rewards the wine's structure.
  4. Pair with. Lobster with butter, Mushroom risotto, Aged graviera. Match the wine's structure to the dish's fat and salt.

History

Wild Ferment broke Gaia from the stainless-steel-only norm in the early 2000s, fermenting Assyrtiko on natural yeasts in a mixed vessel programme of oak and stainless. Demonstrated the grape's age-worthy potential under oxidative handling.

  1. 2003First Wild Ferment Assyrtiko vintage from Gaia

Facts

Producer
Gaia Wines Santorini · visiting guide
Grapes
Assyrtiko
Classification
PDO Santorini
Oak
Wild ferment and ageing in mixed vessels: French oak, acacia oak and stainless steel
ABV
14.0%
Price
EUR 40-65 at retail
Drinking window
3-15 from vintage
First vintage
2003

Frequently asked about Gaia Wild Ferment Assyrtiko

What does Gaia Wild Ferment Assyrtiko taste like?

Structurally full-bodied, low tannins, high acidity with a long finish. Wild-yeast fermented oak-touched Assyrtiko. Fuller-bodied, spiced and ageworthy expression with the same saline core.

When should I drink Gaia Wild Ferment Assyrtiko?

Drink 3-15 from vintage. Young vintages benefit from 30-90 minutes of decanting; mature bottles should be handled carefully for sediment.

What food pairs with Gaia Wild Ferment Assyrtiko?

Lobster with butter is the canonical pairing. Other strong matches include Mushroom risotto and Aged graviera. Full body matches buttery richness; saline mineral threads through.

What grapes are in Gaia Wild Ferment Assyrtiko?

The blend is Assyrtiko. The wine is classified as PDO Santorini.

Tags

assyrtiko dry full body high acid iconic medium term mood elegant mood savoury occasion cellar occasion dinner party occasion special old world pairs with aged cheese pairs with mushroom pairs with shellfish price premium still white

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