2015 Gaia Assyrtiko Thalassitis

Community Tasting Notes (20) Avg Score: 89.0 points

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  8/19/2023 - forceberry wrote: 89 Points

  100% Assyrtiko made with fruit purchased from contract growers farming in Akrotiri, Episkopi and Pyrgos. Fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks. 13% alcohol. Bottle #15131.
  
  Medium-deep lemon-yellow color. The nose feels oddly green-toned and even slightly vegetal with subtly reductive aromas of Sauvignon Blanc-like asparagus, some rubber pool toy notes, a little bit of ripe lemony citrus fruits, light petrolly nuances, a hint of crunchy green currant and a touch of chopped green herbs. The wine feels firm, robust and very slightly viscous on the palate with a moderately full body and intense flavors of lemony citrus fruits and crunchy green currants, rather pronounced and slightly bitter mineral notes of chalk dust and volcanic rocks, a little bit of apple peel bitterness, light herby tones, a hint of pomelo and a touch of tangy salinity. The racy acidity lends great sense of structure and intensity to the wine. The finish is crisp, concentrated and somewhat bitter with a long, dry aftertaste of cantaloupe and pithy lemon, some crunchy notes of green currant, a little bit of tart pomelo, light herby green notes, mineral hints of wet rocks and salinity and a touch of apple peel bitterness.
  
  I tasted this wine seven years ago in Santorini and back then it felt very concentrated, austere and more about aging potential than immediate accessibility, which is why I bought a bottle to age. Well, the wine was definitely ageworthy, since it didn't seem to show much evolved character at eight years of age! However, what surprised me how the wine had developed into this odd, slightly reductive and a bit Sauvignon Blanc-like, subtly vegetal direction. I've had some experience with aged Assyrtikos, but this is something I had never seen before. Although the wine wasn't bad in any way, I can't say the wine had developed in a direction I wanted it to - although the wine was rather forbiddingly tightly-knit in its youth, I think I preferred the wine at that age more! However, maybe with enough age this wine will evolve enough to get past that herbaceous phase and start to develop some tertiary complexity. Whatever the case, at 15,20€ this wine was still a good purchase.

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  7/3/2022 - celiopls wrote: 90 Points

  Minerality and dried yellow fruits on the nose backed by lemons. Medium bodied with refreshing acidity. Do not let it age anymore. Drink now as it is on its pick (i have tried some bottles that started decline)

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  3/8/2020 - gmbdds wrote: 90 Points

  Melon and citrus. Salt and even a little Sauvignon Blanc grassiness. Still pretty fresh.

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  11/3/2019 - celiopls Likes this wine: 90 Points

  Lemon, juicy stone fruit and pinapple backed by lots of minerality on the nose. The palate is full bodied with lots of acidity and saltiness with smooth a medium aftertaste. Can age for 3-4 years more for sure.

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  9/23/2019 - celiopls Likes this wine: 89 Points

  Pale yellow colour does not show for a 4 year old wine. On the nose lots of minerality and lemon. On the palate full bodied wine, creamy with just balanced acidity. If opened earlier i would expect acidity to be overwhelming. Lemon aftertaste. I would have taste it again after a couple of years. Pair with seafood and grilled fish.

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