Athina > Santorini Island

The philosophy behind the Athina-Wine Group is embodied in this quote from the Abstract Impressionism movement: “I lay on the first stroke of color. After that, the canvas has to do at least half the work. Canvas should lead the artist to make the next step.’’

Athina Tsoli and her partner and friend, Ageliki Biba, believe the first touch for a winemaker-oenologist is to embrace the diversity of the variety, what it can offer, and then what can be improved and what should be accepted, always respecting its intrinsic character.

In 2011 Athina and Ageliki made an important decision after attentive research and tastings, choosing to produce wines in three emblematic Greek crus: Santorini, Goumenissa and Naoussa that defend the renaissance of appellation and the specificity of the place. Keeping a close eye on tradition, they strive to produce well structured wines that express a personality that derives from their interpretation of the vineyard and the grape variety. The sculpted label depicts the female symbol of fertility, the wheel of creation that excludes preconceived ideas. The growers they collaborate with share their belief that, whatever you do, you should have an attachment to it and enjoy doing it.

Farming practices:
- For the Goumenissa: Athina-Wine Group leases one vineyard that is certified organic.
- For the Santorini: sustainable. The vineyard is worked as if it were a garden, by hand. Nikos knows every plant and the idiosyncrasies of each nook and cranny. The viticulture is aimed at strengthening the accumulation of both water and organic substance, considering that the only water the vines receive comes from the moisture contained in the Aegean sea winds.

Santorini

100% Assyrtiko from four separate blocks in Santorini’s volcanic terroir. Athina works in Santorini with Nikos Pelekanos, a grower who possesses distinct microclimates, soils, and terrains. He makes some of the most representatives crus within Santorini. Santorini is one of the world’s oldest wine culture, dating back to over 4000 years. These ancient vineyards, which were never affected by phylloxera, can be considered some of the oldest on the planet.
The grapes are hand picked and gently crushed into tank, where they ferment at 53-60F. The wine is aged on its lees for five months, then racked off the gross lees to rest on the fine lees for an additional four months prior to bottling.
Like a composer creating a symphony, the winemakers Athina and Ageliki transform the multifaceted notes of Assyrtiko fruit into a refined, complex and elegant blend. Assyrtiko- it carries the racy spice of the island’s noble varietal that had adapted to the climatic and soil conditions over the centuries- the rich mouthfeel of complete ripeness, the mineral sharpness and the fine acidity of the volcanic soil. Distinctive mineral tones, lemon zest, wet stone and hint of baked apples. Elegant and complex on the palate, lovely weight with a very firm texture and harmonious acidity. 13,9% Alcohol. Will develop for 5 to 8 years. 1.300 cases produced.

Goumenissa

100% Negoska, from a single vineyard cru of the Gerakona subzone .
Soil: Mainly clay with shallow stony soils and overlying sandy loam.
Vineyard management: due to the fact that the harvest is roughly mid/end October (making it the latest harvest in Greece), the weather always gets inclement before the harvest, endangering the grapes at their most delicate stage. Thus, Athina and Ageliki tend to keep the canopy open and the crops lower so that the grapes get good exposure to the sun and the wind to minimise Botrytis. All these, in turn, make the wines of Goumenissa extraordinarily fine and elegant, devoid of the heat and overripe sensations that overwhelmingly define ‘’southern’’ wines. The individual parcel was hand picked and gently crushed into 5 tonne ferment tank. After a short period of cold soaking, the fermentation started naturally with indigenous yeasts. After fermentation the wine was pressed off the skins then aged in oak barrels for 10 months.
Medium red in color. Aromas of blackcurrant, floral notes, fragrant on the palate with a persistent finish. The cold climate, rocky loam soils and sandstone/shale bedrock impart dark fruit flavors, bold tannins and a full bodied generosity dressed in flawless austerity. This wine can age for 7 to 10 years. 13,5% Alcohol.

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