2016 Alberto Nanclares, Albarino, Rias Baixas DO, Galicia Spain.
The signature wine of the Nanclares y Prieto Viticultores, the Alberto Nanclares Albarino 2016 is brilliant and crystalline with verve and brisk detail, this is an excellent Rias Baixas wine of vitality and class, bravo Silvia Prieto and Alberto Nanclares for such a beautiful white. Absolutely pure Val do Salnés, a sub region of Rias Baixas, Albariño grown at sea level from Pergola trained vines between 30 and 60 years old, all organic, even using natural sea weed as compost, it’s a fresh and saline infused wine that was half raised in stainless and half in a used 2,000L French foudre, without malolactic, then raised on it’s less for about a year with just a tiny amount of sulfur, then bottled unfined and unfiltered making for a complex acid driven Albarino that sizzles with intensity and shows it’s cool Atlantic energy and saltiness with pride of place. The 2016 stuns with heightened lemon/lime, green apple, and tart white peach with stone leading the fruit along with hints of white flowers, sea breezes, grapefruit, tropical notes, bitter melon and sexy citron laced herbs, almond oil and verbena adding a leesy layer and vinous textural delight, while staying light, serious, yet playful on the zesty palate in much the same way as a great Chablis or Trocken Riesling (can) with that steely grip and wet rock character. Wow, this is super impressive, even for a winery I love so much, this is a stellar year for Nanclares and the region! Grown on granite and sand, this wine comes off a few Cru parcels that add refinement, terroir expression and age worthy concentration, Nanclares is one of Spain’s great white wine producers, and this 2016 Alberto Nanclares bottling shows why, this is as good as it gets for varietal and place, awesome, drink over the next 3 to 5 years, especially great now and with sardines, oysters and mussels or just a summer day or warm night.
($32 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive
