Showing posts with label Treixadura. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Treixadura. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

O Rosal! Rias Baixas Albariño!

The folks from the Spanish wine region Rias Baixas have a great product to push.  Albariño is not only a delicious white wine on its own, but it's one of the more food-friendly grapes you'll find in the world.  In fact, Albariño seems to crave a food pairing so it can show its best. 

Albariño wines tend to show up online a lot, in virtual tasting events where wine writers gather together with a sponsor to sample a few selections.  In a recent online tasting, writers commented on the great pairings they were having in real time.  A Spanish omelet, chicken and waffles, bouillabaisse, roasted fish with citrus and turkey are just a few of the inspired pairings that sprang from the tasting.

The various grapes in the 2017 Santiago Ruiz Albariño wine were grown in the O Rosal area of Rias Baixas.  The blend consists of 76% Albariño, 11% Loureiro, 5% Treixadura, 4% Godello and 4% Caiño Blanco.  Alcohol checks in at the customary 13% abv and the bottle retails for $20.

The charming map on this wine's label dates back several decades, when the winemaker’s daughter sketched it for the benefit of those attending her wedding at the estate.  I can't vouch that carrying the bottle on a journey to San Miguel de Tabagón will keep you from getting lost, so stick with the GPS. 

This wine - more than simply Albariño - offers the scents and flavors of the grapes that make up a quarter of it.  It offers a pretty nose of white flowers and apples.  The palate adds stone fruit to the green apple notes.  The acidity lags a bit, but is still zippy enough, while there's a nice finish that is genuinely refreshing.


Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Portugal's Classic White Wine For All Seasons

During the winter months, we tend to lean heavily upon red wines - wines that will warm us while it is on the way down.  A Cab, a Merlot, a Zin... or a Port.  Especially a Port.  Sometimes, though, a nice white wine is what we want - even when there's a chill on the thermometer.  Light on its feet and ready to refresh, a good white wine provides a nice change of pace and keeps things interesting.  Don't make them wait for spring to roll around before you enjoy them.

The Vinho Verde wine appellation is in Portugal's Minho region, in the northern part of the country.
The Las Lilas Vinho Verde 2013 is made using Portuguese Louriero and Treixadura grapes from estate vines 25-plus years old, growing a thousand feet above the Duoro River.  Winemaker Jose Oliveira has crafted a white wine made for sipping.  At 10% abv, you can afford to do so liberally.  It's a pretty affordable quaff, retailing for around $10 or less.  This wine was provided as a sample for review by the importer, The Artisan Collection.

The Las Lilas Vinho Verde - a pale, white wine - pours up frizzante, with a slight bit of bubble action showing on the sides of the glass.  Pleasant aromas of white peaches and nectarines are the first above the rim, while the scent of grapefruit kicks its way through the mellow to liven up the joint.  On the palate, there is a nice citrus play, with orange, lemon and lime peel figuring into it. That grapefruit angle is a bit more subdued on the tongue than is in the nose, but still adds freshness to the overall sensation.

The wine finishes without extreme tartness but the memory fades fairly quickly.  Its crisp acidity and refreshing zing combine to make it a great match for a shrimp salad or a ham and cheese sandwich.  It's a great wine for spring or summer, but you shouldn't feel compelled to save it for then.  Pair it with potato soup or clam chowder right now.


Thursday, January 28, 2010

Ca' del Solo Albarino 2008


Bonny Doon Vineyard's Randall Grahm has two driving forces in the present phase of his arc as a winemaker.  One is to make wines which express a sense of place - terroir - and the other is to achieve and maintain a green attitude toward winemaking.  With his Ca' del Solo Albarino, he makes great strides on both counts.

His terroir is fully on display in this wine, a zesty and mineral-laden representation of the earth from his Salinas Valley vineyard.  It is also certified Biodynamic, a front-burner issue for Grahm these days.  Grahm's needs have been met with this beautiful white - and so have ours.

The wine pours up a pale yellow-green in the glass.  It's wonderfully aromatic, with floral notes, a ton of citrus and plenty of minerals. It has a nose that keeps you busy.  It's one of those wines that smells so good you might have to remind yourself to drink it.  Please don't forget to do so.  On the palate, this Albarino is nice and crisp, a very clean taste - zesty is the word that keeps popping into my head - and it finishes clean.

Grahm has a proclivity for unheralded grapes.  While Albarino doesn't really qualify as unheralded for me, the other two grapes in the mix are decidedly lesser stars.  Loureiro and Treixadura both hail from northern Portugal and are used mainly as blending grapes in crisp, dry white wines.

Variety:  75% Albarino, 21% Loureiro, 4% Treixadura
Appellation:  California > Monterey County
Vineyard:  Ca' del Solo
Vintage:  2008
Alcohol Level:  12.8%
Price:  $20
Acquisition disclaimer:  Provided for purpose of review