Boutari "Santorini" Assyrtiko
Price: ~$20
Year: 2014
Region: Santorini, Greece
For the record, I actually wrote this review and then Squarespace deleted it and then I had a meltdown on Twitter which I then deleted. I'm doing the best I can to remember what I said, but I am very, very sad to say that the original post is lost forever. This is partly my fault because I generally write in two places, BUT MOSTLY SQUARESPACE'S BECAUSE IT ATE MY POST. Here's me doing my best to remember it:
For years now I've tried to convince my boyf--fiancé that we should go to Santorini. Its stark blues and whites and coastal lines make it an aesthetic dream. One of my hobbies is 35MM landscape and architectural photography. Thinking about roaming Santorini's streets with my 1979 Canon AE-1 and a backpack full of film and wine is almost too much for me to bear.
But alas, my Santorini travel fantasies have alluded me. And now that Greece is going through what Americans may call "2008", it doesn't seem like I will be going anytime soon. Luckily, I can live vicariously through Boutari's "Santorini".
This wine is made from the white wine varietal assyrtiko. It's native to the island of Santorini and its volcanic soil keeps grapes acidic as they ripen.
When I first opened this wine, I thought I was going to have to throw it out. I was like, "What is this Grecian bullshit excuse for a Chardonnay?!" But being an optimist and also trying to work on being less judgmental, I did not throw it out. Instead I let it breathe, and thank god I did! It's delicious!
This wine has a heavier weight and mouthfeel, like a Chardonnay, which is probably where my initial confusion and repulsion came from. But in all actuality, this wine needs that weight and richness because without it, the acidity would be too much. It's so bright and has a wonderful, lingering sour finish.
Have you ever gone to the movies and ordered popcorn (just popcorn with the regular amount of butter you normally get with it, no "I WANT TO DIE!" amounts of butter added after the fact) and Sour Patch Kids? And you eat the popcorn and Sour Patch Kids by the handful? That is what this wine reminds me of.
So, who wants to grab a matinee this week?
HA HAAA JK I'M STAYING HERE IN THE AC AND DRINKING THIS ALONE PRETENDING JURASSIC WORLD NEVER HAPPENED!
Tasting Notes: Tart but elegant. It's like that one time Courtney Love went to the Oscars. You wouldn't think it would make sense, but it does! You wouldn't normally put chalky and creamy in the same description, but here it works! The nose is bright but herbal with anise, and the palate is full of apples, limes and faint warm ocean water.
Ross Test: Skip it.
