This is the second vintage of this bottling from Rosemary Cakebread of Gallica, and it’s mostly Albariño with a soupçon of Muscat Blanc for aromatics and texture.
In its native habitat of Rias Baixas, Albariño can be a big wine, plumped with yellow peach and citrus and tinged with brine. This wine is more quiet. It’s a pale, moony yellow and, like the original, emits a subtle saline aroma. Its fruit is cooling—apricots, yellow raspberries, green pears—and the mid-palate has a pronounced fresh grassy character, quite restrained. The finish reminds me a little of Crenshaw melon, juicy but mild. A quiet mineral vein gives it gravitas.
Pair it with simple seafood preparations, sweet young cheeses (no mold, not goat), and salads.
13.8% abv | $38 (sample) 200 cases made
I poured the 2015 for my tasting on Saturday night. It was quite the crowd pleaser which surprised me a bit, as it was more mineral driven than the typical crowd pleasing wine.