Albarino

An excellent take on Albarino from California.  The grape is normally found on the northwest coast of Spain where it makes crisp youthful white wines.  This one is a bit rounder.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has limes with a good bit of salinity.  Slightly oily texture.  On the palate, the limes come thru along with a nice minerality.  Crisp acidity.  Long finish.  The wine drinks well on its own but would be better with some salty and/or fried appetizers.  Drink over the next couple of years.  This is a bit pricier than its Spanish counterparts but this is as good or

The front label states this is a 50/50 blend of Arinto and Alvarinho.  This is a beautiful wine that seems to take Portugese whites, which are often inexpensive and lighter in style, to a more serious place.  At times, this can be a mistake with over zealous winemakers, but in this case, they pull it off admirably.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has peaches/nectarines, crushed shells, slight vanilla and spice, and a bit of lime zest.  Medium bodied.  Moderate acidity.  Silky texture.  On the palate, lemon/lime with some leaches.  A twang of lemon tartness comes thru on

Who knew they even grew Albariño in Michigan?  This is nice. Silvery/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is steely with some hay and lemon.  Medium bodied.  Slightly Viscous.  On the palate, there is some residual sugar left making this at least semi-sweet.  Fruity on the palate.  Tasty and easy drinking.  Some lemon/orange on the finish.  A nice wine for sipping on its own and the back deck (or front porch).  Drink over the next few years.  

This has always been a favorite value wine.  Although the wine sees no oak, it spends four months on the lees leaving a creamy texture and notes that resemble oak.  Green/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has some vanilla, along with pears and lanolin.  Light to medium bodied.  On the palate, there is a nice green apple note with plenty of energy.  A bit of salinity on the finish.  This drinks well on its own and would pair quite well with shellfish.  Drink over the next few years.  

An interesting wine from a country not usually seen in the wine world (Uruguay) and a grape not usually tasted (Albarino).  Light golden in color with a slight copper hue.  The nose is all about minerality with some crushed shells, iron, diesel and sea air.  On the palate, this has a slightly oily texture.  Again, there isn't much fruit but plenty of minerality.  It is refreshing with good acidity.  It is a nice light wine that will make a good summer sipper with some soft cheeses on the back patio.  Drink over the next year.  

Light silver/gold in color.  The nose has lots of minerality, crushed shells and some lemon.  Also a bit steely.  On the palate, this is crisp and lean.  Steely with lots of minerality/chalk.  Just a hint of viscosity on the midpalate.  Clean finish.  This would work well with seafood or other lighter foods.  Nice for summer sipping,  Ranges in price from $13 to $18.  Drink now.  

This wine, made by a large Co-Op is always a great value in refreshing, crisp white wines.  It is from the northwest corner of Spain.  Light, pale yellow gold in color.  The nose has seashells, salinity and also a nice crisp green apple note.  Light bodied.  On the palate, this has a nice bite.  Lots of energy.  The apple notes come thru as well.  Moderate finish.  This goes well with sea food and salads.  it also drinks well on its own, especially outdoors on a warm evening.  It should be consumed in the next year.  And, then buy the next vintage.

One might think an Albarino that is five years old would be way past it.  Maybe more so if it were from California.  In this case, anyway, that would not be true.  This was drinking quite well.  As I don't know the winery, it is not possible to say how this drunk younger or if it is better or worse now.  It is, however, still quite enjoyable.  Yellow golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is all about minerals with a bit of alfalfa.  With air, a bit of citrus (lime?).  On the palate, this has a nice cut.  The lime comes out more.  Refreshing.  Good finish.  It is light bodied.  Indeed

Pretty cool to be able to try a Finger Lakes Albariño.  Unfortunately, this bottle seemed very off.  That said, a couple of people (with respected palates) at the tasting quite enjoyed the wine.  Light green/gold in color.  The nose has wet rocks, hay and plenty of plastic band-aid notes.  Typically, that is a sign of a brettanomyces yeast infection.  That is not always a bad thing, but it is a bit rare to be found in a white wine.  On the palate, the plastic note continues along with a bitter grapefruit juice finish.  I am curious if this was an off bottle or typical from the winery.  It w

Good showing for this wine despite being four years from vintage.  Light yellow gold in color.  The nose has a nice minerality with chervil and slight peach.  On the palate, there is a crisp underlying minerality along with a peach and citrus component.  Good acidity.  This is fresh and lively.  It will work with most lighter and medium foods and be great with seafood and fresh salads.