Varietal:Â 100% Albarino
Region:Â Rias Baixas – Spain
Cost:Â $15 (SRP)
Winemaker’s Notes:Â Â Â A highly aromatic wine opening with a nose of tropical fruit and apple, along with a subtle herbal nuance. Led by pear and passion fruit notes, this dry, full-bodied wine boasts a fruit-forward profile, finishing with a round mouthfeel. Pairs well with seasonal shellfish and other seafood fare.
My Review:Â I had received this wine, along with a bottle of Torrontes, as samples for the holiday season, and as the bottle of Torrontes made its way up to Northern Virginia with me to my parents’ house for Thanksgiving, I’d been looking for a good opportunity to open this bottle. Finally one presented itself this past weekend.
I should start by saying that I probably picked the wrong food to pair this wine with. That being said, it performed admirably given the handicap I gave it. In the glass the wine was very light, nearly clear really, and on the nose I got light citrus and tropical fruit notes. In the mouth the citrus continued on and while I was expecting a hint of honey or other subtle sweetness at the end it never materialized…and that was ok.
My wife and I paired the wine with a dinner of her deconstructed chicken pot pie, and the nice acid, as compared to the subtle sweetness I was expecting, did a nice job of cutting through the creaminess of the food. Now, to be fair it still wasn’t the best pairing, and I enjoyed the wine more after the food was gone, but in a bad situation it did ok.
As a general rule I’m hit or miss on Albarino, and while I’d hesitate to call this a favorite, I did appreciate that it was something different from what I expected, and that’s often enough to give me a favorable opinion of a wine – doing something unexpected.
If you can’t find the 2010 Martin Codax Albarino in your local store (which shouldn’t be a problem), you can order it online by clicking on this link:Â http://www.winezap.com/search/searchResults.cfm?r=181364Â .
