Wine Code Breaker #334

Santorini Island in the middle of the Mediterranean and Clare Valley in South Australia don’t have a lot in common at first glance.  One is an island of volcanic rock that experiences about 370 mm rainfall in any one year, while the other is a valley in the middle of a brown land that experiences around 600 mm rainfall.  Millenia ago, a grape variety evolved on the island and thrived.  A few years ago, this grape was introduced to the brown land and is thriving.  Assyrtiko is that grape.  A white discovered on a holiday that is now finding its way into our homes.

The 2019 Jim Barry Assyrtiko from Clare Valley in South Australia is a bright pale lemon coloured wine.  The nose, you might say, has a Mediterranean twist with its mineral and salty nuance, and influences of crisp lemon. A crusted oyster shell and zestiness of grapefruit complement these aromas nicely.  On the palate there are green olives along with lemons and minerals, leaping across a textural bed with a saline edge rounded out by its crisp acidity.  Not much in common, but what they have is great.