Gavalas Vinsanto Sweet 2016, 500ml
£55.00
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Gavalas Vinsanto Sweet 2016, 500ml
£55.00
Description
Sweet Vinsanto is the mythical nectar of Santorini, produced from the native grape varieties of Assyrtiko, Athiri and Aidani. The vinification is carried out using traditional techniques. This wine fills the chalices of the orthodox churches, used for the Holy Communion. It can be best enjoyed chilled at 6-8oC, as a dessert wine. Vinsanto is bottled in limited quantities
At a glance
Grape
Aidani, Assyrtiko, Atheri
Region
Aegean Islands
Vintage
2016
ABV
11.0%
Sweetness
Sweet
Grapes
Aidani & Assyrtiko & Atheri
Assyrtiko is by far Greece’s most renowned white grape variety, associated most famously with the volcanic island of Santorini in the Aegean Sea. Following its notable success, it is now grown successfully all over Greece and beyond in Clare Valley, Australia, South Africa and California, being the first Greek grape to become international. It has developed a reputation as being a versatile grape variety, producing wines in a multitude of styles, from fresh, mineral white wines to oaked, worth keeping ones and from bold complex reds to rıch matured dessert wines, such as Vinsanto. Compact clusters of large, moderately thick-skinned berries, late budding and late ripening. Vigorous and productive, resistant to drought, disease and wind and capable of maintaining high acidity up to the final stages of the ripening period. In Santorini it is trained in the characteristic baskets, sitting close to the ground and named “kouloures” by the locals.
Producer
Continuing a long tradition of winemakers, spanning over three centuries, the Gavalas family has been exclusively engaged with the vinification of a number of indigenous varieties grown on the island of Santorini. They have been working particularly on the unknown varieties of Santorini, beyond Assyrtiko and they are the Santorinian winery with most wine labels produced by indigenous varieties, including the almost extinct Katsano variety, from which they produce a unique and notable white wine, capable of aging slowly and gracefully. The combination of traditional and modern winemaking methods and the unique volcanic soil and open sea climate of the island assist them in producing fine and balanced wines of vibrant fruity character, refreshing acidity and unique minerality. Their Santorini Natural Ferment and Nykteri labels are very good expressions of the local star Assyrtiko variety, whereas their benchmark Santorini, in the iconic Aegean blue bottle, keeps on gaining fans.