Gaia Wines Thalassitis Submerged 2016

Since 2009, every year we submerge around 500 bottles of the current vintage of “Thalassitis” just off the east coast of Santorini. Down there, under ideal conditions of stable temperature, we let them age, away from the light and unaffected by oxygen. Today, at 20m depth, an underwater cellar is formed, which at any given moment hosts 4 consecutive vintages of ”Thalassitis”.

Out of all the bottles that we submerged back in 2009, only 3 bottles made it back to the surface intact. Out of the 2010s and 2011s, 258 and 141 bottles survived respectively. Unfortunately, the depth of 30 meters was too ambitious and the high pressure damaged the majority of the bottles of both 2012 and 2013. From a total of 1050 bottles, only 37 came up (4 from 2012 and 33 from 2013)! One might say that by this point we should have probably realized we were doing something wrong…

But we learned our lesson! We changed the depth of submersion, as well as the corks. The results were astounding. Both 2014 and 2015 respectively ”returned” 400 and 407 bottles, where the most recent 2016 vintage, allowed the surfacing of 497 intact, incredible bottles.

As per every past vintage, the outcome of the 4-year-long stay in the underwater cellar is impressive. The wine has a smoky aromatic dimension and a hydrocarbon note. The wine has become astonishingly ”rounder”, giving the impression of an evolved wine. At the same time, the color suggests a misleading youth, whereas any sign of oxidation is absent. This is a rare ”hybrid” wine that balances between youth and maturity.

Thalassitis Submerged is a Rare wine by Gaia that any wine collector would appreciate!