Georgas Family – Mandilari Savatiano Black Label 2022

The Georgas Family is located in the historical area of Spata, the center of retsina and the unexplored Savatiano white grape, where they can trace their agriculture roots 380 years back. They cultivate their 4.5 ha of estate owned dry vineyards biodynamically, with very low yields (21 hectoliters / ha). Vinification is natural, through spontaneous fermentation, no intervention, no sulphur (for most wines), and up to a week of skin contact, which gives their wines a characteristic bronze color.

The Georgas Family counts more than 380 years of recorded wine growing tradition in the town of Spata. The street where the family lives, which is the family’s old winery, bears its name (G. Georgas street). The current winery is the restored historical winery of “Kambas”.

Dimitris Georgas had no intention of becoming a winemaker. After a degree in geology, and two masters degrees in oceanography and environmental management, he inherited the vineyards when his father passed away. He decided to take the plunge, and immediately turned to organic viticulture in 1998, and started farming biodynamically only a few years later.

Savatiano is the most planted grape of Greece, yet still largely unexplored. It is indigenous to the Attica region of Central Greece, the hottest and most arid area of Greece, as it is very resistant to heat and drought. Its cultivation is linked to its productivity, which was important for the most populous region of Greece. However, its use in low quality retsina wine of the 70’s and 80’s, gave it a bad reputation, which explains why it has remained unexplored. Its potential is starting to shine in the hands of artisanal growers like Georgas, who make it in fresh, aged, and sweet vinifications, with impressive results.

Retsina is another unexplored wine, because of its adulteration and low quality of recent times. It stems from the ancient Greek practice of sealing clay amphorae with fresh pine resin, which accidentally protected the wine from spoiling. Spata is the historical region of retsina, with a very long tradition around it and the Savatiano grape. Retsina bears a “Traditional Appellation“, one of the few such appellations in the world.