2016 Domaine Santamaria ‘Tranoi’ Vin de Pays de L’Île de Beautée Blanc

Region: Patrimonio < Corsica < France
Grapes: Vermentino
Vineyard/Cellar Stats: Certified organic/biodynamic farming; dry-farmed younger vines on schist soil; fermentation in stainless steel tanks; bottled unfined/unfiltered with minimal SO2; 13% ABV
Winemaker: Thomas Santamaria

On Corsica, the dreamy island off the coast of France, Thomas Santamaria is the 6th generation to make wine on his family’s estate on the scrubby northern end of the island. Thankfully, his family had always farmed old-school, never giving in to outside pressure to use herbicides and pesticides, which unfortunately became common on the island in the 70s. Thomas has taken this a step further, starting to work in biodynamic treatments as well as following the lunar cycle for his vineyard work. The ‘Tranoi’ is a distinctly Mediterranean white, all about tension, without the voluptuousness to which this grape, especially in the hot, dry island climate, often succumbs. Think ripe mango with lemon zest, bitter almond and a briny sea breeze blowing white sand over your toes.