2006 Albariño, Finca de Arantei, Rias Baixas, Spain

Derek Swanson — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 17:05:15 +0000

Spanish wines continue to be popular picks among our wine pros. This one is from Sharlene JP Cline, who is the brains behind the wine program at The Homestead Restaurant in Homer, Alaska. Her program has garnered awards from Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast, and much of its success might be attributed to Sharlene’s strong desire to learn and teach about wine. She recommends this Spanish white above a number of similar wines tasted during a recent experimental wine-seafood pairing (she frequently includes these tastings as part of classes she hosts for friends and guests of the restaurant) mainly because it has more body and less alcohol flavor than a Sauvignon Blanc. Paired with the oysters she and her guests tasted, the Albariño brought out their sweetness while a Sauvignon Blanc enhanced the oysters’ brine flavor.
While the vast majority of the wines from Rias Baixas are produced from a mix of locations by cooperative wineries, many of which are blends of a variety of grapes, Finca de Arantei is a single estate, 100% Albariño wine. The winery occupies 87.5 acres of rocky and sandy soil in the sub-zone of Condado de Tea, the heart of the Miño Valley, which gets some of the most ample sunshine in the Denominación de Origen (DO).
Pale straw in color, with the distinct floral and mineral aromas of the Albariño grape, Finca de Arantei is among the most refined and elegant examples of its type. The wine is of medium weight, lively on the tongue, complex in flavor and long on the finish, with a racy character reminiscent of some of the best Alsace Rieslings.

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2006 Albariño, Finca de Arantei, Rias Baixas, Spain