To our palates, the finest examples of Rías Baixas highlight the noble Albariños’ ability to convey purity of fruit, intensity of aromatic expressions, and magnify the Rías Baixas’s special granite soils. Xurxo Alba of Albamar crafts this delicious Albariño that employs bristling acidity and tactile saline minerality to amplify the variety’s citrus, melon, and tropical fruit characters. The wine casts a green-glinted gold color and gorgeous Albariño aromas of Meyer lemon zest, peach skin, yellow melon, and saline minerals. On the palate, the wine is packed with intense expressions of lemon, lime, tart melon, and green pineapple fruit driven by riveting acidity and complex suggestions of tarragon, bay leaf, and white pepper. Showing superb transparency and focus, Albemar’s 2020 Albariño finishes with reprises of citrus, melon, and tart tropical fruits infused with final lashing of smoky, salty minerals. This is superb Albariño that will delight now and over the coming two years as a partner to prawns, seafood tapas, vegetable tortillas, steak fishes like swordfish or mahi mahi, sashimi, and mild cheeses. Terrific Albariño!
A June 2021 newsletter selection
