WTN: Mediterranean Wines

[Brad Ballinger]

NV Santo Wines “Kameni,” Santorini. This is a dry wine named after a volcano on the Greek island of Santorini. It came to me by way of a neighbor couple who brought back several wines from Europe a few years ago then realized they aren’t really wine people. They gave me about 8 wines total that had been sitting in a box in a dark corner of the basement for a few years. I offered to pay for them, but they said I was doing them the favor by taking them. This wine is a blend of a white grape called assyrtiko and a black (red) grape called mandilaria. The wine was light bodied, with tart fruit, and lacking complexity. My guess is it would be best drunk the minute you get it home from the store – provided they just got it off the truck, who just got it off the dock, where it was just bottled. Okay, that’s a bit extreme, but you get the idea. At its best, this would be a wine with simple fare, and could probably stand up to some grilled meat. It appears to have seen some, but not a lot of, oak. I have no idea what the price is, but it is probably a good value for certain settings.

1998 Domaine Comte Peraldi Vin Rosé d’Ajaccio. Ajaccio is an AOC on the island of Corsica. This rosé is made from 100% sciacarello, and came in the same basement box from the neighbor. More salmon in color than pink. This wine was a pleasant surprise. It has the spice I’ve come to appreciate from many rosé wines, but the minerality here is really something. At the same time there is a steely sleekness and an earthiness that lends depth to the flavor profile. It’s really more about minerals than fruit. But I confess to not knowing it that is because it is six years old or not. This is my first Corsican wine, so I’ve never had a younger version. But the fruit was by no means dead. The wine was nicely balanced with a clean and lively finish.