2013Nanclares2013 Alberto Nanclares, Albariño, Rias Baixas, Spain.
The 2013 Nanclares Albariño is absolutely beguiling and majestic, it, as I said about the 2012 is utterly profound wine and the single most glorious expression of the varietal I’ve ever tasted. The Albariño in the glass makes for a totally humbling experience, it is truly amazing the quality found here and Alberto Nanclares is genius, to really imagine this wine or relate to it I would say you need to compare it to a mix of Donnhoff Trocken, Raveneau Chablis and maybe Emmerich Knoll Steiner Gruner Veltliner just to grasp to the idea, but of course it is much more that that even, it is the perfect reflection of it’s own terroir and one that will leave you in complete awe. Alberto Nanclares and Silvia Prieto at Bodega Alberto Nanclares have crafted what I think is my wine of the year, and are certainly a producer to search out, my meager words do not do these wines justice! The 2013 Nanclares Albariño starts with a light and brilliant golden hue with mineral intensity jumping from the glass, the nose is austere with a hint of citrus flower, clove and salty elements leading to a palate bristling with acidity, extract and feline muscle with layers of lemon/lime, wet river stones, unripe apricot, peach and kumquat as well as steely liquid mineral, faint hazetnut/almond notes, apple skin, tangerine and fine chalk. Wow, this is powerful and graceful stuff with vibrant energy and leesy complexity, focused detail, sublime balance and at 12.5% alcohol it is easy to enjoy and just plain gorgeous to drink, it reminds of a story I heard during the 1990’s when I first ever tasted an estate bottled Albariño, I was told that between 80 and 90% of all good Albariño stays in Spain and that very little escapes to the export market, and after tasting the last two vintages of Nanclares Albariño I can understand why this was true then and true today, except now we are lucky enough to have some available thanks to importer Jose Pastor and his Jose Pastor Selections Vinos & Gourmet! Drink this enchanting white over the next 3 to 5 years, though without a doubt this should age well for another 10 years no question. Nanclares Albariño is like being let in on a great heartwarming secret leaving a cat’s grin smile and blissful inner peace, it’s pure seduction in the bottle, don’t miss out!
($32 Est.) 94+ Points, grapelive

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