Rias Baixas, Galicia, Spain
Albariño comes in many expressions, from tropical fruity to exotically floral, to crisp and mineral driven. We love Albariño in all its guises, but our favorites are clean, crisp, minerally and mouthwateringly saline: precisely what this Etiqueta Verde from Granbazán delivers. Lemon-gold in the glass, Granbazán’s Etiqueta Verde conveys elegant, brine-tinged aromas of Mandarin oranges, resinous pear skin, and bergamot. Impressively intense and incisive on the palate, suggestions of key lime, fresh ginger, and quinine are lifted by shimmering acidity and a palate dusting of salty granitic minerals. Etiqueta Verde juxtaposes an intense, tactile fruit expression with riveting acidity and finishes with further waves of citrus juice, white flowers, bitter herbs, and salty minerals. This is sensational Albariño in the floral, citrus, and mineral aesthetic; pair it over the coming year with fresh scallops, calamari, clams, oysters, or Dungeness crab, or enjoy it all on its own as an attention-grabbing apéritif.
A September 2021 newsletter selection
