Albariño
Castro Martin A2O Albarino 2006
This is another wine from Castro Martin. It used to be called Avian, but due to a large water brand getting a bit nervous it is now called A20. You can read the full story over here on their blog. The whole thing is a bit silly really, but I think the new name is very appropriate given the circumstances.
Rusty Fig Albarino 2008
A couple of Aussie whites turned up in the post the other day, an Albarino and a Verdelho from Rusty Fig in Bermagui. I know Bermaguai in Queensland, this one is on the south coast in NSW. I had a look at these on the weekend, they are both really interesting and show plenty of promise. This is the first wine I remember having from this region, so I have nothing smart to say on the climate etc, however these look good.
Los Hermanos Albariño 2008
I don’t drink enough of the local wines made from Spanish or Portuguese varieties. It’s not that I don’t think they’re up to scratch, but I usually have my hands full keeping up with the imported stuff. With the ever dropping dollar, imports are going to get more expensive and wines like this may well fill the hole when most imported Albariños are pushing $35 to $40 bucks a bottle.
Valmiñor 2007
The number of retailer’s I’ve heard say “you’ll be on to a winner if you put some albariño underscrew cap and charge $20 for it” is amazing and they’re right. Well this goes halfway there, screwcap really suits the style too. Of course, I can’t really tell if it’s the vintage or the closure without a cork closed bottle to compare with, but this is the freshest tasting albariño I’ve had outside Spain or Portugal.
Albariño de Fefiñanes 2007
Spring is finally here. And it’s not the weather that’s telling me that, its the 9 Spanish rosados and bunch of whites that are sitting in the tasting pile. Many of them in screwcap for the first time. The warmer weather is great, but I’m regretting having a fair bit of grass in the yard. I can see I’ll be out with the mower every couple weeks again soon. On the upside, daylight saving starts 3 weeks early this year, so I’m looking forward to getting out to the BBQ after work.
Pazo San Mauro Albariño 2007
Of the main regions of Rias Brixas, Condado de Tea is the least represented in Australia. The region is a bit more challenging than Val do Salnés and O Rosal, its a more inland with river valleys, a touch warmer and the soils are more solid and slatey. This wine is made by Cristina Mantilla, who also makes Valmiñor. Expect classic Albariño with plenty of flavour and a touch of minerals.
Martin Codax ‘Burgans’ 2006
A month or so ago I bought a bottle of this wine and the screwcap was faulty. I had the replacement scheduled for tasting on Monday night, when I got an email from the wine buyer for Vintage Cellars followed by a chat on the phone about closures and their range of Spanish wine. It turns out that there was a bit of a problem with this batch, about 1% of the batch had a faulty or loose screwcap. Still better than cork acorrding to most failure statistics. The fault has been noted and action is being taken to resolve the fault.
Mar del Frades Albariño 2006
This albariño is a little bit different to many of the wines we have seen here in Australia. And even though most albariños are food wines, this one is especially so. These guys really emphasise the relationship between the sea and the food and wine traditions of Galicia, right down to the blue bottle with waves at its base. There is also a little gimmick here, if you look at the larger image there is no blue ship on the front label. If you bung the bottle in the fridge for a bit, a blue ship will appear when the wine is cold enough to drink.
Martin Codax 2006
Just when I though I’d tasted just about every Spanish Albariño in Australia, two more pop onto my desk. That’s not quite true, I know there are at least two others I haven’t seen, but thats just semantics. This is another very good wine in the $30 price bracket, I don’t think anyone could complain about the range of Spanish whites that are available in this price bracket these days.
Adegas Galegas Dionisos 2007
This is a new wine for Ce Soir Imports, and it should be available later in the year. There is no sub region specified, but it has all the hallmarks of a wine from Val do Salnes. Adegas Galegas is a small producer that is part of the large Grupo Galiciano that make a huge [...]
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