I was looking for a wine to pair with some halibut and was recommended to try a Spanish Albarino. Always being one who likes something new, and since I'd never had Albarino before I thought it would be fun to give this wine a try.
Albarino is grown in the Rias Baixas region of north west Spain and is neither fermented nor aged in wood. This is meant to give them a unique flavour profile and texture. While this is definitely true of this particular wine, I can't say I think this is a great example of the varietal, even though I haven't tasted others yet. The wine is tangy orange with a smooth texture, but it is supremely simple and, honestly, I found it to be pretty boring. Nevertheless it was much better than your average bottle of white at this price level and is a decent quaffing wine, albeit not an exciting one. Nonetheless, I am definitely going to be seeking out some more serious Albarinos in the future, since its uniqueness is pretty intriguing.
Fair
$20 at BCLDB
3 comments:
I love albariño: it's a good, non-traditional white wine that's exceptionally good with shellfish and other seafood. I especially like the offering from Morgadio, which retails for around $18 - $22. It is dry and crisp, good minerality, racy acidity. It evokes long afternoons on some Iberian beach. Of course, having never been to Spain I can only imagine what that might be like--though the albariño provides just a hint of what paradise that might be.
Joon
http://vinicultured.com
Hmm...I think the Burgans is a bit more than boring, but I was introduced to Albarino from a different wine, and thought Burgans to be a more affordable alternative, yet admittedly not as good. The Albarino I first had was Pazo Senorans. Fantastic. Touch of initial sweetness, but strong minerality and acidity. LOTS of acid, some pear, touch of citrus, but nothing like a Sav Blanc. No real tropical fruits, and more well rounded, full mouth feel for a white.
Interesting. I still haven't given up on the grape and I can't say I have had enough of it to make a fair judgment.
On this occasion, though, I suppose I was hoping for something a bit less round and a little more crisp. I missed the aromatics you get on Sauv Blanc, admittedly not so much at this price point. Albarino is great with oysters, however!
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