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2019 Zarate Rías Baixas Albariño Balado

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Latest Sale Price

November 19, 2023 - $34

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RATINGS

95James Suckling

Lots of dried apricot and peach with some lemon and apple. It’s full-bodied with tangy acidity and an electric finish to the exotic and tropical-fruit flavors. Complex and serious as always.

94The Wine Advocate

...a powerful and vibrant white...very good balance and a lactic touch...fresh and wakes you up, and it's very tasty...with citrus hints and a balsamic touch.

94+ John Gilman

...stunningly deep and complex nose of bread fruit, lemon, complex, granitic minerality, a lovely touch of the lees, dried flowers and a whisper of white lilies in the upper register...pure, full-bodied and very mineral in personality, with a great core of fruit from the old vines, snappy acids, excellent grip and a very long, nascently complex and extremely promising finish.

93Vinous / IWC

Sharply delineated quince, white peach, Meyer lemon and honeysuckle aromas show vibrant mineral lift. Chewy, tightly focused and energetic on the palate, offering intense citrus and orchard fruit flavors... Delivers firm grip and nervy mineral cut on the impressively long, incisive finish, which leaves behind floral and pear notes.

REGION

Spain, Galicia, Rías Baixas

Galicia is in the far northwestern corner of Spain, just above Portugal on the Atlantic coast. It includes four provinces and five appellations. The appellations are Monterrei, Rías Baixas, Ribeira Sacra, Ribeiro and Valdeorras. In recent years the popularity of Albariño from Rías Baixas has brought new renown to the area, though it has been a wine producing region since at least the 14th century, when it was an exporter of grape vine cuttings. The coastal climate is wet, with an average of about 50 inches of rainfall annually, and it receives many hours of sun. Besides the Albariño grape, Galicia grows the white wine grapes Loureira, Caiño Blanca, Torrontés, Treixadura and Godello, another recently popular grape and wine. Red wines of the region are light and generally made of Mencia. Rías Baixes is the star of the region, with Albariño accounting for 90% of its production.

TYPE

White Wine, Albarino (Alvarhino)

On the Iberian peninsula, one grape belongs to two different countries and is called by two different names: Albarino in Spain, Alvarhino in Portugal. Either way, it makes an underrated white wine that is akin to Riesling and fabulous with seafood and shellfish.