Α Terroir beyond compare

The wine produced at the Viticultural Manor is born from vines which grow perched on the northern slopes of Mount Geraneia and breathe in the breeze of the Saronic and Corinthian Gulfs. The two seas surrounding the vineyard create an incomparable Mediterranean microclimate at 330 meters, ideal for local varieties such as Assyrtiko and Roditis, as well as international varieties such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah and Merlot.

The area’s soils – calcareous, with sandy clay composition, volcanic residue and fine structure – are mostly sloping and with good drainage, thus forming the building block for a valley of NW to SE direction seamlessly connecting the two seas. This orientation and terrain ensure the continuous flow of winds and the natural airing of the vine, protecting it from humidity and diseases.

The protection of vines from natural enemies and diseases is monitored according to the latest scientific methods. The same protocol applies to fertilization: depending on the needs, conditions and year. Moreover in parts where the ground is rather shallow, full support is provided by an extensive irrigation system.

The integrated cultivation management system applied guarantees the production of wines with exceptional taste characteristics. Each tenth of every hectare delivers about 700 kilos, much lower than the 1,200 kilos determined by the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) for Geraneia, which sets the limit for the vineyard’s production. Harvesting usually begins early August with the Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc varieties to be followed by the Merlot, Syrah, Assyrtiko and Roditis varieties.

Within this land of vines, rare Greek varieties have found shelter in order to revive aromas and tastes of distinct wines.

Vinification and aging with personality

In the estate’s vineyards, white varieties mature first, followed by the red ones. Depending on the weather conditions of each year, harvesting begins during the first 20 days of August with the white varieties and is concluded on the first days of September with the red varieties. Harvesting starts early in the morning, at the crack of dawn, and  is conluded late in the evening.  The grapes still fresh, before getting struck by the sun are selected and collected in small containers of 15 kilos to be swiftly transferred to the winery for processing. The winery is equipped with all the necessary modern machinery (grape crushing machine, air press, condensing unit and others) in order to treat the excellent raw material with respect and care and produce high quality wines.

Vinification methods vary according to the variety, the particularities of a year and the type of wine we want to produce. Regarding white varieties, primarily the crushing of grapes takes place and the fruit is then transferred to the modern air press. The must generated is immediately cooled off in specialized tanks of static mud removal for about 20 hours at 12 ^oC. The clean must is put aside and led to fermentation under controlled temperature between 14 ^oC and 18 ^oC. Some of the white wines undergo aging in oak barrels for a few months.

As far as the red varieties are concerned, after the grape crushing, the grape pulp is directed to winemakers (specialized extraction tanks) where it remains for either fermentation or for the extraction of colouring matters found on grapes’ skin, attributing the rich red colour to wine. At the same time, extraction enriches the wine’s aroma and taste, thus highlighting the characteristics of each variety. The temperature in the winemakers is set at 23 ^oC to 26 ^oC. Depending on the type of wine being produced, the time in the tanks ranges from a few hours, in the case of rosé wines, to 7-8 days for deep coloured tannin wines, which will undergo aging for several months in oak barrels in the winery’s underground cellar. The cellar is equipped with a temperature and humidity monitoring mechanism to allow wine to age slowly and steadily in oak barrels, become smooth and acquire a velvety texture. Following the stabilization and clarification of wine, bottling takes place in lack of oxygen to prevent oxidation. Eventually, the bottled wines are stored under ideal temperature conditions until their consumption.