The history of Aegean wines goes back millennia, and I find that tasting wines made from old, indigenous grapes is always an exciting experience. Therefore a wine from Crete, made from the obscure (and rare) Vidiano grape, presented a fun evening. The wine is called Dafnios, and is made by the organic winery Douloufakis. I believe the wine is un-oaked but am not 100% certain. Regardless, it provides a fascinating drink, unlike anything else I’ve tried. A thousand cases made, and now available in the U.S.
2015 Dafnios White, Douloufakis Winery, Crete $15 srp
A Honeydew melon color with light golden flecks. Springtime leafy notes on the nose also include pear, sour cherry, ginger and citrus elements. A “dark” richness underlies it all. Flavors are a bit simple and tart, like biting into an under-ripe apple or pear. But the taste sensation is fascinatingly clean with a nice spicy, bitter bite for refreshment. I couldn’t help but imagine this as a perfect match for Dolmades, hummus or a garlic-laden Greek salad. Drink now-2018.
87/100 points
