Gentilini
WHO WE WERE THEN …
Gentilini was the family name of Spiro Nicholas Kosmetatos’ paternal grandmother, Marianna, the last of a long noble lineage.
Marino Gentilini, an Italian army engineer, was commissioned by the Venetian Senate in 1593 to build the extensive Assos fortifications on Kefalonia). He eventually married and settled here, and his name was inscribed in the Libro d’Oro of noble families.
… AND NOW
The winery and vineyards have now passed to the next generation. Nicholas’ daughter Marianna and her husband Petros Markantonatos took over the estate in 2002 with an eye on the future which, however, respects the experience of the past. As always, we aim to produce top quality, exciting and unique wines while promoting the unique flavours and aromas of the local Kefalonian varieties. All the steps that go into the making of these fine wines, from vineyard management to bottling and marketing, are overseen and controlled by us together with our resident winemaker, Mike Jones
GENTILINI NOTES WHITE
50% Tsaoussi – 50% Sauvignon Blanc
Dry White Wine
Classification: Protected Geographical Indication Ainos Slopes (PGI)
The Tsaoussi grapes are grown in the low-lying, limestone soil around Minies on Kefalonia. High limestone. Good drainage. Typical yields for Sauvignon Blanc are between 3,500 and 6,000 kg/ha. Tsaoussi yields around 7,000kg/ha. All the varieties grow in areas with microclimates that are best suited for them, thus highlighting all the best characteristics that each grape has to offer.
Harvest dates: August
Alcohol by volume: 13.0%
Tasting notes: Complex and balanced. Medium bodied. Aromatic floral and tropical fruit with citrus, melon and honey notes.
GENTILINI NOTES RED
80% Agiorgitiko 20% Syrah / Mavrodaphne of Kefalonia
Dry Red
Classification: Varietal Vine
The Agiorgitiko grapes come from the Nemea appellation region in the Peloponnese. Yields are around 5,000 kg/ha. The Syrah and Mavrodaphne grapes are organically grown in our estate on Kefalonia. The wine is matured for 2 months in oak barrels before being aged for a further 6 months in bottle.
Harvest dates: August to September
Alcohol by volume: 13.0%
Tasting notes: Gentilini Red is a fresh, complex wine with sour-cherry and spicy flavours, velvety tannins and long aftertaste
GENTILINI NOTES ROSE
90% Moschofilero, 10% Mavrodaphne.
Dry Rose Wine
Classification: Varietal Vine
The grapes grow in the well-drained, limestone soils of its vineyards close to the winery in Minies, Kefalonia. Proximity to the sea creates a mild micro-climate that moderates temperature extremes. Yields for Moschofilero are around 4,500kg/haAll vinification and bottling is done at the Gentilini winery.
The grapes are de-stemmed and extraction lasts for three days prior to pressing. The must is then cold-fermented to complete dryness in stainless steel vats.
Harvest dates: August to September
Alcohol by volume: 12.5%
Tasting notes: A fresh, perfectly balanced wine with lively acidity. Fresh, muscat aromas of jasmine, rose petals and hints of spice.
ROBOLA OF KEFALONIA
100% Robola of Kefalonia
Dry White Wine
Classification: Protected Designation of Origin Robola of Kefalonia(PDO)
Robola is an increasingly rare, ungrafted, low-yielding variety that thrives on the poor limestone and gravelly soils of the Kefalonian highlands. It is considered one of the finest Greek white varieties, and has characteristic citrus and mineral aromas.
The grapes come from high-altitude (exceeding 600m above sea level) vineyards on the slopes of Mount Ainos within the Robola PDO appellation zone. Yields are around 3,500kg/ha.
Harvest dates: August
Alcohol by volume: 13.0%
Tasting notes: A fresh, citrusy, dry white wine, which expresses all the characteristic fruit, minerality and terroir of this variety. Complex, balanced, and dry, with a long finish.
ROBOLA OF KEFALONIA WILD PATHS
100% Robola of Kefalonia
Dry White Wine
Classification: Protected Designation of Origin Robola of Kefalonia(PDO)
Robola is an increasingly rare, ungrafted, low-yielding variety that thrives on the poor limestone and gravelly soils of the Kefalonian highlands. It is considered one of the finest Greek white varieties, and has characteristic citrus and mineral aromas. The grapes for this limited edition wine come from a single vineyard at 850m above sea level in the area of Fagia. The vines are ungrafted and were planted in 1956. The vineyard faces south and has a very abrupt incline. The long hours of sunshine, the rocky limestone soil, the low yield (2,500kg/ha in 2016) and the sharp drainage all contribute to the exceptional concentration of flavours/aromas.
Harvest dates: August
Alcohol by volume: 13.0%
Tasting notes: A fresh, citrusy, dry white wine, which expresses all the characteristic fruit, minerality and terroir of this variety. Aromas of vanilla, white peach and citron with hints of vanilla. Complex and balanced with a long finish.
GENTILINI ECLIPSE
100% Mavrodaphne of Kefalonia
Dry Red Wine
Classification: Protected Geographical Indication Peloponnese (PGI)
The Mavrodaphne grapes are sourced from three vineyards: Estate vineyard at 60m altitude. Limestone terroir with yields of 3,000kg/hectare. Contract vineyard in the area of Omala at 650m altitude. Limestone terroir with yields of 3,000kg/hectare.
Contract vineyard in the area of Thinia at 80m altitude. Clay, rocky terroir with yields of 5,000kg/hectare.
The grapes are pressed when malolactic fermentation is complete and the wine is transferred to French and American oak barriques to mature for 12 months before bottling. The wine is racked and returned twice during maturation. This wine is not fined or filtered to avoid any stripping of flavours and complexity.
Harvest dates: August to September
Alcohol by volume: 13.0%
Tasting notes: This is a dark, almost inky wine, with generous, layered aromas of red fruit, spiced with hints of licorice and wild mint. In the mouth it is rich, complex and impressive, with soft, round tannins and an endless aftertaste.