Initial bitter attack on first sip and swished, but not in finish. Stone fruit but what? Peach? Nectarine? Just the slightest hint of grapefruit on the finish, what I call tired grapefruit. Ever so slight and very fleeting. Taste concentrated mid to front of tongue. Gives the sensation of bitter grapefruit without the actual flavor. Acid and unique flavor cut through food and resets taste buds. Don't think this would work with red tomato sauce. Keep to cream or olive oil. Ready now. Better than average albarino.
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Really good QPR. No bitter finish that I sometimes get on Albariño. Good acid with notes of apple, pineapple, lemon to balance the acid. Good length and great complexity for a $14 bottle!
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Pale yellow without much nose. A few tight bubbles combine with high acidity to give it a really nice kick. White pepper on the finish and the taste has pepper, green apple, and orange. Really tasty and refreshing.
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Pale gold. Pronounced nose - grapefruit and peach, banana, pineapple, honeysuckle, lilac. Youthful. Dry, High acid, medium alcohol, medium body. Pronounced flavor - banana, pineapple, mango, grapefruit. Medium plus finish. Drink now, not suitable for further aging. Good.
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Light straw color. Nose of peaches, citrus, some pineapple, wet stone and something floral. Palate was apple, lemon, grapefruit with light herbal notes. Crisp acidity and very well integrated alcohol.
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Aromatic Albariño from arias Aida’s. Light golden color with slight effervescence in the glass. On the palate, lemon, honey and vanilla notes with well balanced acidity. Lovely slightly tart finish.
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When I first saw the email ad for today’s wine, I paused, but only for a second. After all, this was just some everyday Albariño; or was it? After a little more reading of the ad, I discovered that the wine had garnered some 92- and 93-point reviews. That’s not that common for such a simplistic wine. Continuing to the bottom of the page (that’s where the important stuff is – PRICE), I saw the wine sold for only $14.99. Great reviews, great price, I had to delve into the wine:
Bodegas La Cana Albariño 2020
From the Denominacion de Origen (D.O.) of Rias Baixas, this 100% Albariño comes to us from Jorge Ordóñez and his winemaking team to demonstrate the potential that Albariño shows as a high quality, serious varietal, demonstrating the complexity, intensity, and longevity Albariño can achieve when sourced from old vineyards and using serious winemaking practices.
Traditional dry farmed and practicing organic, the vines are cultivated and harvested completely by hand. The grapes are whole-cluster-pressed, with 35% of the juice fermented using 500L & 600L older puncheons and demi-muids (a French term for 600-liter capacity oak barrels), and the remaining fermented in stainless steel. Further aged for 8 months in both barrel and tank.
To clarify, in my research I found someone mentioning that the wine sees no oak. Not so. While fermenting and aging, the wine does see some oak, mostly 2nd use and older. I like to point out for those not as involved in wine, the use of whole cluster pressing has gained momentum. Allowing the juice to remain in contact, even for a short time, with the stems, can add complexity and other various notes to wine without necessarily adding oak flavor.
All of this points to a wine with a creamy lemony mix with nice acid (not too sharp), a hint of apple (not the computer company), and minerality. It’s a great food wine and well deserved of those 92- and 93-point reviews. At $15 this is a keeper!
Cheers
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Pale straw; wow, lots of mingled melon and peach in the aromas. Same goes for the flavors, with good buttressing acidity. No shrinking violet, this is fresh and fruit-forward, much more so than I was expecting.
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Super fragrant et bien droit. Des agrumes, des ananas et des abricots. Acidité vive et une impression saline. Pas le plus long mais rien n'accroche. Super bon.
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Fresh Albariño. Peaches, pineapple and lemon. Zesty acidity with nice body. Quite persistent. A sligh fizz dor an unexpected finish. For 16$ this is a steal. Makes great aperitif and perfect for fish.
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Almost clear straw color. A little lemon zest and peach aroma. Refreshing minerality like a sudden splash in the surf. Mouth watering acidity. Some under-ripe melon. The best bottle I could imagine with my lunch of Portuguese sardines and a green salad. Impressed.
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Tasted blind. Again. Med lemon. Med (+) aromas of tart lemon, white peach, white flowers, fresh herbs, wet stone. No oak. Dry, with med (+) to high acidity, med (+) alcohol (13.5%) and a rounded, slightly oily mouthfeel, perhaps due to lees aging. Med body, med (+) flavor intensity and medium length. The palate is consistent with the nose, but with a saline note and a slight bitterness on the finish. Youthful, very good quality. Great QPR.
Cool to moderate climate, most likely Old World. Potential varieties include Albarino, Muscadet/Melon de Bourgogne or Vermentino, except that Muscadet typically does not have bitterness on the finish and is a bit lower in alcohol. Vermentino, on the other hand, often has an additional tropical fruit note and is darker in color.
Fermented 35% in 500L & 600L puncheons and demi-muids (second use through 12 vintages old), 65% in stainless steel. Sur lie ageing for eight months with bi-weekly battonage in both barrel and tank.
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What I would expect from an upscale Albariño from an innovative wine maker. Good extraction and mouth feel from what I would consider sur lees aging, and some barrel fermentation and storage. Gas aromas & flavors of white peaches, kiwi, Janine, dried apricot, winter mint , fresh coriander , mixed citrus & a note of nutmeg. Good intensity, complexity, and lusciousness. The wine opens up with aeration and time in the decanter giving us that ribbon of tangerine we have loved to expect from the Rias Baivas region. Built to be sturdy for aging say to 2027 as more flavors reveal themselves. Good length and dry finish. Should be an amazingly versatile food wine.
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Same 90 points as last review. Even in winter still digging these. Super zesty acid (lips will tingle) almost effervescent. Stone fruit, some subdued pineapple, some ocean breeze and minerality on the finish. Med body. Short finish. Great match for the seafood pasta with olive oil. Good by itself as well. Just a basic good/highly quaffable white. Will buy more. Good choice in the $15 space when looking for something more energetic than a base Sav Blanc or Gavi.
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This limpid, light yellow wine was uncorked and poured, being serially tasted over a two-hour period. Fully opening within 30 minutes, it serves up an attractive aromatic array of lemon verbena, white peaches, ginger, jasmine and wet stones. Light-bodied, crisply acidic and with well-integrated alcohol (13.5%), it delivers flavors that mirror the aromas, adding a complementary note of spice on the mid-palate and medium-to-long finish. Although 35% of this wine was fermented in French oak puncheons and an unspecified portion was aged in used barrels during élevage, there is no detectable oak that would otherwise potentially detract from this wine's beautiful freshness. Another terrific selection from Jorge Ordóñez, this should be at its best over the next three years. Drink now-2024.
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First time trying Albariño, so hard to say if what I tasted is “normal.” The nose was muted with wildflower and lemon. On the palate I had orange, lemon, grapefruit, and generic citrus. Too much citrus and sweetness for me, not my thing. No rating given as I don’t have a baseline for the varietal.
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clean pale clear gold peaches, rose, citrous, jasmine on the nose medium alcohol medium plus acid lime, lemon, lime pith on the palate medium minus finish
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L: vivid yellow A: strong lemon peel, pear l, some light pinapple P: pear, green apple, citrus, lemongrass, salinity/minerality, with crisp puckering acid. Medium body with more rounded mouthfeel than say a new Zealand Sav Blanc at this price point. C: had with ahi tuna steak with soy/mustard glaze, not a perfect pairing but worked (wife wasn't in the mood for a Chardonnay. No complaints and happy to try this again with lemon shrimp cocktail, crab cake, white fish, fresh Baja tacos. Good QPR and can't ask formore at $12. Wife liked it as well. Easy summer sipper that is good without food as well. 13.5%
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Tasted blind. Med straw, with a gold hue and med legs. Med (+) aromas of green apple, lemon, white peach, white flowers, wet stone. Perhaps just a hint of neutral oak. Dry, with med (+) acidity, med (+) alcohol (13.5%) and a rounded, slightly oily mouthfeel, perhaps due to lees aging. Med body, med (+) flavor intensity and complexity. The palate is consistent with the nose, but with a saline note and a slight bitterness on the med long finish. Youthful, very good quality. Great QPR.
Cool to moderate climate, most likely Old World. Potential varieties include Albarino, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Muscadet/Melon de Bourgogne or Vermentino. PG would be lower in acid, less aromatic and lacks the saline note. Chenin typically has a more funky aroma.
Fermented 35% in 500L & 600L puncheons and demi-muids (second use through 12 vintages old), 65% in stainless steel. Sur lie ageing for eight months with bi-weekly battonage in both barrel and tank.
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On the nose there is peach, apricot, and some Minerality
On the palate I get fresh peaches, a little passion fruit and lime zest, saline, and some bright green grassy notes
Light body, high acidity, paired wonderfully with sea bass and a little schug sauce, salad, and sweet potato. Great for sipping alone on a warm evening as well.
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10/19/2023 - pmarlo wrote: 90 Points
Initial bitter attack on first sip and swished, but not in finish. Stone fruit but what? Peach? Nectarine? Just the slightest hint of grapefruit on the finish, what I call tired grapefruit. Ever so slight and very fleeting. Taste concentrated mid to front of tongue. Gives the sensation of bitter grapefruit without the actual flavor. Acid and unique flavor cut through food and resets taste buds. Don't think this would work with red tomato sauce. Keep to cream or olive oil. Ready now. Better than average albarino.
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7/19/2023 - r4Cali Likes this wine: 91 Points
Great QPR. Nice acidity and very refreshing on a warm evening.
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1/10/2023 - Kellig Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really good QPR. No bitter finish that I sometimes get on Albariño. Good acid with notes of apple, pineapple, lemon to balance the acid. Good length and great complexity for a $14 bottle!
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9/2/2022 - jdkrabbe Likes this wine: 89 Points
Delicious, drank this with zataar crusted mahi mahi. Excellent cellar pick for this combo.
Fresh tasting and generally as expected nice petrichor note was perhaps slightly unexpected but definitely appreciated!
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8/31/2022 - Stuart10er Likes this wine:
Pale yellow without much nose. A few tight bubbles combine with high acidity to give it a really nice kick. White pepper on the finish and the taste has pepper, green apple, and orange. Really tasty and refreshing.
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8/1/2022 - zenaida21 wrote:
Albariño Day 8/1. Okay. Fairly aromatic, with tropical fruit and vanilla notes. Not a lot of flavor, slightly viscous mouthfeel.
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6/2/2022 - mmblz wrote: 88 Points
Pale gold. Pronounced nose - grapefruit and peach, banana, pineapple, honeysuckle, lilac. Youthful. Dry, High acid, medium alcohol, medium body. Pronounced flavor - banana, pineapple, mango, grapefruit. Medium plus finish. Drink now, not suitable for further aging. Good.
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5/6/2022 - autumn_child Likes this wine: 90 Points
Light straw color. Nose of peaches, citrus, some pineapple, wet stone and something floral. Palate was apple, lemon, grapefruit with light herbal notes. Crisp acidity and very well integrated alcohol.
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4/24/2022 - EXPLORER 825 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Aromatic Albariño from arias Aida’s. Light golden color with slight effervescence in the glass. On the palate, lemon, honey and vanilla notes with well balanced acidity. Lovely slightly tart finish.
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4/21/2022 - Hi.its.Don.4.Wine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Another Mass-Produced Albariño - Not This Time!
When I first saw the email ad for today’s wine, I paused, but only for a second. After all, this was just some everyday Albariño; or was it? After a little more reading of the ad, I discovered that the wine had garnered some 92- and 93-point reviews. That’s not that common for such a simplistic wine. Continuing to the bottom of the page (that’s where the important stuff is – PRICE), I saw the wine sold for only $14.99. Great reviews, great price, I had to delve into the wine:
Bodegas La Cana Albariño 2020
From the Denominacion de Origen (D.O.) of Rias Baixas, this 100% Albariño comes to us from Jorge Ordóñez and his winemaking team to demonstrate the potential that Albariño shows as a high quality, serious varietal, demonstrating the complexity, intensity, and longevity Albariño can achieve when sourced from old vineyards and using serious winemaking practices.
Traditional dry farmed and practicing organic, the vines are cultivated and harvested completely by hand. The grapes are whole-cluster-pressed, with 35% of the juice fermented using 500L & 600L older puncheons and demi-muids (a French term for 600-liter capacity oak barrels), and the remaining fermented in stainless steel. Further aged for 8 months in both barrel and tank.
To clarify, in my research I found someone mentioning that the wine sees no oak. Not so. While fermenting and aging, the wine does see some oak, mostly 2nd use and older. I like to point out for those not as involved in wine, the use of whole cluster pressing has gained momentum. Allowing the juice to remain in contact, even for a short time, with the stems, can add complexity and other various notes to wine without necessarily adding oak flavor.
All of this points to a wine with a creamy lemony mix with nice acid (not too sharp), a hint of apple (not the computer company), and minerality. It’s a great food wine and well deserved of those 92- and 93-point reviews. At $15 this is a keeper!
Cheers
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4/20/2022 - slanum wrote:
Pale straw; wow, lots of mingled melon and peach in the aromas. Same goes for the flavors, with good buttressing acidity. No shrinking violet, this is fresh and fruit-forward, much more so than I was expecting.
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4/6/2022 - maxima wrote: 89 Points
Super fragrant et bien droit.
Des agrumes, des ananas et des abricots.
Acidité vive et une impression saline.
Pas le plus long mais rien n'accroche.
Super bon.
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4/5/2022 - emunn wrote:
Crisp, bright, a hint of citrus. Great with food.
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3/27/2022 - Old Wine Maven Likes this wine:
Excellent Summer wine
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3/14/2022 - M&AWines Likes this wine: 92 Points
An excellent wine. Crisp. Fruity
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3/14/2022 - Rhollander Likes this wine: 91 Points
Fresh Albariño. Peaches, pineapple and lemon. Zesty acidity with nice body. Quite persistent. A sligh fizz dor an unexpected finish. For 16$ this is a steal. Makes great aperitif and perfect for fish.
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3/13/2022 - tjin Likes this wine: 90 Points
Lovely floral nose, light and delicate. Notes of peach, lemon, and ginger. Long, zesty finish.
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2/28/2022 - robertp57 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Almost clear straw color. A little lemon zest and peach aroma. Refreshing minerality like a sudden splash in the surf. Mouth watering acidity. Some under-ripe melon. The best bottle I could imagine with my lunch of Portuguese sardines and a green salad. Impressed.
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2/23/2022 - TannicBeast Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tasted blind. Again. Med lemon. Med (+) aromas of tart lemon, white peach, white flowers, fresh herbs, wet stone. No oak. Dry, with med (+) to high acidity, med (+) alcohol (13.5%) and a rounded, slightly oily mouthfeel, perhaps due to lees aging. Med body, med (+) flavor intensity and medium length. The palate is consistent with the nose, but with a saline note and a slight bitterness on the finish. Youthful, very good quality. Great QPR.
Cool to moderate climate, most likely Old World. Potential varieties include Albarino, Muscadet/Melon de Bourgogne or Vermentino, except that Muscadet typically does not have bitterness on the finish and is a bit lower in alcohol. Vermentino, on the other hand, often has an additional tropical fruit note and is darker in color.
Fermented 35% in 500L & 600L puncheons and demi-muids (second use through 12 vintages old), 65% in stainless steel. Sur lie ageing for eight months with bi-weekly battonage in both barrel and tank.
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2/3/2022 - Zinslut Likes this wine: 93 Points
What I would expect from an upscale Albariño from an innovative wine maker. Good extraction and mouth feel from what I would consider sur lees aging, and some barrel fermentation and storage.
Gas aromas & flavors of white peaches, kiwi, Janine, dried apricot, winter mint , fresh coriander , mixed citrus & a note of nutmeg. Good intensity, complexity, and lusciousness. The wine opens up with aeration and time in the decanter giving us that ribbon of tangerine we have loved to expect from the Rias Baivas region. Built to be sturdy for aging say to 2027 as more flavors reveal themselves. Good length and dry finish. Should be an amazingly versatile food wine.
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1/14/2022 - Tony Poli Likes this wine: 90 Points
Fresh, citrusy, just delightful.
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12/17/2021 - Steve Simmons Likes this wine:
Same 90 points as last review. Even in winter still digging these. Super zesty acid (lips will tingle) almost effervescent. Stone fruit, some subdued pineapple, some ocean breeze and minerality on the finish. Med body. Short finish. Great match for the seafood pasta with olive oil. Good by itself as well. Just a basic good/highly quaffable white. Will buy more. Good choice in the $15 space when looking for something more energetic than a base Sav Blanc or Gavi.
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12/6/2021 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 91 Points
This limpid, light yellow wine was uncorked and poured, being serially tasted over a two-hour period. Fully opening within 30 minutes, it serves up an attractive aromatic array of lemon verbena, white peaches, ginger, jasmine and wet stones. Light-bodied, crisply acidic and with well-integrated alcohol (13.5%), it delivers flavors that mirror the aromas, adding a complementary note of spice on the mid-palate and medium-to-long finish. Although 35% of this wine was fermented in French oak puncheons and an unspecified portion was aged in used barrels during élevage, there is no detectable oak that would otherwise potentially detract from this wine's beautiful freshness. Another terrific selection from Jorge Ordóñez, this should be at its best over the next three years. Drink now-2024.
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11/27/2021 - CubFan4Life Does not like this wine:
First time trying Albariño, so hard to say if what I tasted is “normal.” The nose was muted with wildflower and lemon. On the palate I had orange, lemon, grapefruit, and generic citrus. Too much citrus and sweetness for me, not my thing. No rating given as I don’t have a baseline for the varietal.
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11/25/2021 - RussK wrote: 90 Points
Russk. Don't need more. A tiny bit sweet.
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10/11/2021 - Brain Capers Likes this wine:
Hah, Spanish night, as an aperitif with salad, very nice Albariño, before the Depaula monastell.
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10/11/2021 - crcarlson Likes this wine: 88 Points
clean
pale clear gold
peaches, rose, citrous, jasmine on the nose
medium alcohol
medium plus acid
lime, lemon, lime pith on the palate
medium minus finish
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9/12/2021 - imieiduecentesimi Likes this wine: 89 Points
Gold color. Tropical fruit, papaya, melon, orange, citrus. Crisp, salinity, medium body. Medium body finish and acidity. Good QPR
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9/10/2021 - Steve Simmons Likes this wine: 90 Points
L: vivid yellow
A: strong lemon peel, pear l, some light pinapple
P: pear, green apple, citrus, lemongrass, salinity/minerality, with crisp puckering acid. Medium body with more rounded mouthfeel than say a new Zealand Sav Blanc at this price point.
C: had with ahi tuna steak with soy/mustard glaze, not a perfect pairing but worked (wife wasn't in the mood for a Chardonnay. No complaints and happy to try this again with lemon shrimp cocktail, crab cake, white fish, fresh Baja tacos. Good QPR and can't ask formore at $12. Wife liked it as well. Easy summer sipper that is good without food as well. 13.5%
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7/26/2021 - wdlohr wrote: 88 Points
pale gold, aromas of melon, tastes broad of honey and cream, slight sweetness
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6/30/2021 - TannicBeast Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tasted blind. Med straw, with a gold hue and med legs. Med (+) aromas of green apple, lemon, white peach, white flowers, wet stone. Perhaps just a hint of neutral oak. Dry, with med (+) acidity, med (+) alcohol (13.5%) and a rounded, slightly oily mouthfeel, perhaps due to lees aging. Med body, med (+) flavor intensity and complexity. The palate is consistent with the nose, but with a saline note and a slight bitterness on the med long finish. Youthful, very good quality. Great QPR.
Cool to moderate climate, most likely Old World. Potential varieties include Albarino, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Muscadet/Melon de Bourgogne or Vermentino. PG would be lower in acid, less aromatic and lacks the saline note. Chenin typically has a more funky aroma.
Fermented 35% in 500L & 600L puncheons and demi-muids (second use through 12 vintages old), 65% in stainless steel. Sur lie ageing for eight months with bi-weekly battonage in both barrel and tank.
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6/29/2021 - D.Palermo wrote: 92 Points
- Light gold color.
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5/17/2021 - Julie Lampe Likes this wine:
Light straw in color with a slight green tint.
On the nose there is peach, apricot, and some
Minerality
On the palate I get fresh peaches, a little passion fruit and lime zest, saline, and some bright green grassy notes
Light body, high acidity, paired wonderfully with sea bass and a little schug sauce, salad, and sweet potato. Great for sipping alone on a warm evening as well.
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