The
Brothers Albariño
A couple of weeks ago, I
related my re-acquaintance with my old friend
alvarinho, a Portuguese grape that I haven't
seen since the sunny days of last summer.
That got my palate craving for alvarinho's
twin brother, albariño, who lives
across the border in northwest Spain.
Never have two grapes who
have so much in common (genetically speaking,
they are identical) tasted so different
post-fermentation. Alvarinho, made in Portugal's
Vinho Verde region, is light, refreshing
and yummy in a wine-spritzer kind of way.
Spanish-speaking albariño is good.
In fact, it is doggone good. [Editor’s
Note: Gil, can you be a little more descriptive?]
It is doggone good for a
couple of reasons. First, its flavors are
different without being weird. This satisfies
the seeker in me who enjoys the exploration
of original, charismatic wines, but at times
just wants to enjoy something out of the
ordinary without working too hard to appreciate
it. The second reason is those doggone good
flavors.
Unlike its simple Portuguese
relative, albariños are a bountiful,
iconoclastic fruit basket full of grapefruits,
pineapples, papayas, passion fruits, limes
and apricots (dried and fresh). In addition,
these wines have aromas of fresh linen and
a slate-like, mineral quality that reminds
me of a cement sidewalk just after a summer
rain shower.
[Note to Editor: Better?]
[Editor’s Note: Much.]
There are a fair number
of albariños from Spain on local
wine lists and in wine aisles. Look for
bottles that say Rías Baixas, the
region from which they hail. Specific names
to consider for purchase are Burgens ($17),
Martin Còdax ($15) and Essencia Diviña
($20). But you don't have to head Europe
for your albariño. Bonny Doon's Ca'
del Solo from Monterey County, Calif., would
make a doggone good choice.
(This column is dedicated
to John Tornese, who bet me I couldn’t
use the phrase “doggone good”
five times in one wine column.)
2007 Ca' del Solo Albarino,
Monterey County, Calif.
• $18
• Two thumbs up
• Perfume-like aromas
of honey, peach and grapefruit with a fruit
salad of rich flavors, like pineapple, apricot,
lemon and tangerines. Moderately acidic
with a fair amount of body.
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