The fourth white wine we sampled on April
13th in the tasting group, after the Sancerre, Chablis, and Grüner
Veltliner was an Albariño
from Rias Baixas, Spain.
Although not on the list
for those studying for the Certified exams, Albariño is a “grid wine” for the
Advanced and Master Sommelier levels. One of the challenges in identifying a
wine in a blind test is learning to discern the distinct aroma and flavor
characteristics of a grape, region, vintage and producer. It is not unlike
learning the distinctive style of a guitarist (such as Eric Clapton, Carlos
Santana or Eddie Van Halen) so that if you were to hear a new song or hear them
play with other musicians, you immediately recognize them. The only way, of
course, that you can learn to identify the musician or the wine is by
repeatedly listening to them or tasting them. But sometimes what is typical of a wine that signifies
its identity can be very subtle which requires the taster to be all the more
focused and have his senses all the more honed. This is where a certain level
of psychology comes into play as you have to discipline your mind to shut out
all the distractions. It also requires a great deal of detective work,
searching for numerous olfactory clues and evidence which together leads you to
an accurate assessment and the identity of the wine.
At this stage in my
learning with a somewhat limited exposure to Albariño I find this wine to be
rather elusive. I have yet to get my head around this wine so that when I am
smelling and tasting a flag is raised in
my head that signifies, “I am an Albariño!” I am also not all that thrilled
with this varietal (unlike my love for Pinot Noir) so in order to conquer this
grape I am going to have to look for every opportunity to taste it until I get
its distinctive characteristics in my mind.
The
Grape
Albariño is a white wine varietal grown in
Galicia in northwest Spain as well as in Monção and Melgaço in northwest
Portugal, where it is known as Alvarinho and sometimes as Cainho
Branco. In Rias Baixas Albariño accounts for 90% of all plantings. Its name “Alba-Riño”
means “the white [wine] from the Rhine” and it has locally been thought to be a
Riesling clone originating from the Alsace region of France but it doesn’t look,
smell or tasting anything like a Riesling. Its thick skin helps them withstand particularly
damp climates and it tends to produce aromatic wines with high alcohol and
acidity.[1]
Although similar in name, it should not be confused with the Alvarinho Liláz
grape of Madeira. Over 50% of Spain’s total Albariño
production is exported to the United States.
The
Winery - Bodegas
As Laxas
Bodegas
As Laxas is a family owned and operated winery located in the Condado do Tea subsection
of the Rias Baixas region in northwest Spain near the Atlantic Coast. It was
founded in 1862 and is one of the first wineries in the region to be awarded
the status of Rias Baixas Denominación de
Origen (DO).
The winery owns 19 hectares (47 acres) of vineyards which are
planted with Albariño, Treixadura, Loureira and Caíño. The vineyards are more
than 30 years old and situated on south-facing granite terraces 1100
to 1800 feet above sea level. The soils consist of slate
with a high concentration of mineral and sand.[2]
The
Wine
The 2012 Laxas Albariño is a
clear white wine, straw in color with green tints, it has low concentration at
the core to a watery rim with medium viscosity. On the nose it has subtle
aromas of cherries, red apples, melon, some medicinal notes (quinine), under ripe banana skins and tropical
fruits, plantains, baby turnips, and green vegetal notes with a touch of artichoke.
On the palate is quite different with flavors of red and white grapefruit,
Juicy Fruit chewing gum, melon and celery sticks. It is dry with high acidity, it is
medium bodied with moderate+ alcohol and a medium length finish. This wine
retails for about $14 - $16 per bottle.
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