Castelo do Mar Albariño 2020 (Spain) - Wine Review

Tonight's white wine review is this lovely Albariño from Spain. I enjoyed the 2018 Castelo do Mar Albariño in December 2020 and am delighted to see the latest vintage arrive in Ontario as part of the weekend's June 18 LCBO VINTAGES Release.

Winery Veiga da Princesa produces this white wine and is part of Grupo Pazo do Mar. The winery is located in Arbo, Pontevedra, in Galicia in the northwestern part of Spain. After two years of collecting more than 200 small plots of land from more than 70 different owners, they decided to authentically farm Albariño in 2002 using trellis cultivation techniques to produce grapes that are more airy, sun-kissed and less acidic. Dedicated to Albariño, they produce and bottle their own wines with advanced techniques and careful cleaning throughout the process, with maximum respect for the varietal. The concept of the winery is "Vino de Pago", or wine made exclusively with grapes from a single estate or property. With professional management of the vineyard, they are able to grow high quality, uniform Albariño grapes.

The 2020 vintage in D.O. Rías Baixas had favourable conditions throughout the growing season which resulted in increased yields. Harvest started a little earlier than usual and it is widely anticipated that the 2020 vintage will be outstanding with exceptional aromatic intensity and balanced acidity. Let's see how this 2020 Albariño from Rías Baixas is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

CASTELO DO MAR ALBARIÑO 2020 - DO Rías Baixas, Spain (#488734) (XD) - $18.95
100% Albariño from their 18 hectare estate in Condado do Tea. Screw cap. Elegantly fragrant and rich on the nose with ripe tropical fruit, citrus, yellow-fleshed stone fruit, mineral, and touches of white floral aromas rising out of the glass. It's medium+ bodied on the dry, lightly honeyed, and crunchy palate with yellow and white floral, citrus, tropical fruit, and ripe apple flavours that are lifted by clean, crisp, and refreshing acidity. Nicely textured with oyster shell minerals and lemon citrus coming through on the crisp, long, and very satisfying finish. Highly recommended buy. Score: 91 pts

Other lovely wines by Veiga da Princesa can be ordered via their Agent - Connexion Oenophilia.

Read More

New Zealand Wine Week - Feb. 2021 + Albariño, Pinot Noir & Syrah Wine Reviews

During the week of February 8 - 12, 2021, I attended the first ever New Zealand Wine Week. There were many activities planned throughout the week across Canada, USA, UK, and Ireland, including tastings, discussions, and online activities.

I managed to attend a couple of fascinating classes - one titled "Pinot Noir Soils" and another on Syrah. To assist with the learning, I also received a specially-curated Sustainable Wine Tasting Kit that contained three lovely wines which are reviewed below. To reduce environmental impact, the wines were packaged in low-waste, recyclable tetra-paks. Given the current pandemic, I can't help but wonder if more wine tasting kits will be provided in this manner in the future.

New Zealand produces 1% of the world's wine and 17% of the world's Sauvignon Blanc. While most of New Zealand's wine production is devoted to Sauvignon Blanc, ranking second is Pinot Noir with 7% of the country's wine production. New Zealand's soils are approximately 42 million years old, relatively new by comparison to other wine regions, and most of it has been moved by water. As such, there can be expected a variety of soil types which are layered. Pinot Noir prefers free-draining soils such as those found in Wairarapa, North Island. In Marlborough, as I learned during my visit to New Zealand last year, the Southern Valleys of the Wairau Valley have predominately clay soils - a prime area for growing fuller-bodied Pinot. As vines with age go deeper and deeper into soil in the search for water and nutrients, the different layers of soils reveal themselves and develop additional character in the wines. In Pinot Noir, clay gives density to wines, gravelly soils build tannins, and limestone gives vibrancy and length to wines. In a short period, New Zealand has built a reputation for producing quality Pinot Noir, with Central Otago leading much of this notoriety, although interesting Pinot Noir is produced throughout all of New Zealand's wine regions.

Syrah is the oft-forgotten variety of New Zealand. It represents just 1% of all vines in New Zealand and ranks 7th by acreage. Although it is speculated that Syrah was first planted in New Zealand in the 1830s. it is known that the first Australian cuttings were brought to New Zealand in 1900. The oldest modern Syrah vines were planted in 1984. Of the 437 hectares of Syrah planted in New Zealand in today, 339 hectares are planted in the warmer North Island region of Hawke's Bay - a region I had the pleasure of visiting last year because I discovered NZ Syrah several years prior. I also visited Waiheke Island last year and it has the second-most Syrah in the country with 51 hectares planted to the varietal.

A lovely Albariño from the Awatere Valley in Marlborough was also part of this tasting kit and reviewed below. Originally from Spain, Albariño has found a home in New Zealand. I discovered New Zealand Albariño after tasting a few wines during my visit to NZ last year. Only 27 hectares of Albariño are planted within the country, with most of the plantings concentrated in Gisborne, Marlborough, and Hawke's Bay.

The most recent vintage was also among the many topics discussed. While the 2020 vintage will always be remembered as the COVID-19 harvest, it was actually an excellent summer throughout most of New Zealand and the 2020 vintage is expected to be outstanding.

Sustainability was also a major theme of the week. New Zealand was the first wine industry to establish a national sustainability programme - Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ) - which first started 1994. Today, 96% of New Zealand's vineyard producing area is certified by the programme. With a strong commitment from winemakers and grape growers, New Zealand is able to craft exceptional wines while also helping the natural environment, local businesses, and communities thrive. The six areas of focuses with sustainability efforts are water, waste, pest and disease, soil, climate change, and people.

Tasting Notes:

THE HUNTING LODGE SEASONAL ALBARINO 2019 - Awatere Valley, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (XD) - $19.95
Mostly fermented in stainless steel tanks, with 10% fermented in French oak barriques, as well as 3 months ageing on the lees. Fresh aromatics deliver an intriguing mix of ripe citrus, stone fruits, and floral with touches of vanilla, yeasty, and seashell notes. On the medium+ bodied palate it has a slightly creamy mouthfeel that’s balanced by fresh, zesty acidity. It has ripe, honeyed flavours of citrus and stone fruits on the flavour profile, while yeasty, seashell mineral, and touches of vanilla linger on the juicy finish, with very good length. Agent: Nicholas Pearce Wines. Score: 90 pts

CHURTON NATURAL STATE PINOT NOIR 2019 - Waihopai Valley, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (XD) - $31.95
Grown according to biodynamic and organic principles from the Southern Valley of Waihopai, this single block Pinot Noir was naturally fermented with indigenous yeast and has medium-high intensity aromas are very ripe with black cherry, raspberry, blackberry, and floral notes with touches of bramble. It is medium-bodied and mildly structured on the palate with nice, fruity aroma replays plus some earthy and tea leaf flavours. It has balanced, juicy acids and elegantly textured tannins. Very good length on the finish with notes of savoury black cherry. Vegan-friendly. Agent: Le Sommelier. Score: 90 pts

ESK VALLEY WINEMAKERS RESERVE SYRAH 2014 - Gimblett Gravels, Hawke's Bay, North Island, New Zealand (XD) ~$60
From the Cornerstone Vineyard, the medium+ intensity nose seems a bit closed, but offers notes of black plum, dark berry, blackberry, and some wood spice aromas. The structured, medium-full bodied is lovely with blackberry, black pepper, earth, eucalypt, and wood spice flavours that are supported by juicy acidity and well-integrated tannins. The savoury, earthy, black pepper spice, and dark chocolate notes continue through to the long, satisfying finish. Still has many years of enjoyment ahead. Agent: Perigon Beverage Group. Score: 92 pts

Read More

Castelo do Mar Albariño 2018 (Spain) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is this lovely Albariño from Spain that came to VINTAGES last Fall and returns to our shores as part of the December 12th LCBO VINTAGES Release.

Castelo do Mar wines are produced by Veiga da Princesa, a winery that is part of the Pazo do Mar Group of wineries. Veiga da Princesa is located Arbo, Pontevedra, in western Spain near the Atlantic Ocean and just north of Portugal. The vineyard was first planted in 2002, plot by plot, after two years of merging more than 200 small farms which were the property of more than 70 different owners!

The Albariño vines used to produce this white wine are cultivated on trellises, giving more airy, sun-kissed and less acidic grapes than those obtained with other vine-training techniques. This cultivating method also helps avoid the use of many phytosanitary treatments (i.e. disease control) which are applied in other sub-areas of this Appellation. All of the wines are produced and bottled using modern equipment and techniques, with a clear commitment to quality.

I had the pleasure of enjoying the 2016 Castelo do Mar Albariño a couple of years ago and am sure the 2018 will be just as good, if not better, due to a vintage that was rated 'very good' with a growing season that delivered a typical profile of the Albariño grape.

Tasting Note:

CASTELO DO MAR ALBARIÑO 2018 - DO Rías Baixas, Spain (#488734) (XD) - $19.95
100% Albariño from their 18 hectare estate in Tea County. Screw cap. The fragrant nose is ripe with tropical fruit, pineapple, peach, citrus and apple aromas with touches of floral. It's medium-full bodied on the palate with a rich, honeyed concentration of fruit and flavours of citrus and apple. Acids are vibrant and zesty, while oyster shell mineral notes arrive on the back palate, adding complexity and lingering through to the long, lip-smacking finish. Enjoy over the next 2-3 years. Score: 90 pts

Other lovely wines from Veiga da Princesa can be ordered via their Agent - Connexion Oenophilia.

Read More

Bodega Garzón Reserva Albariño 2018 (Uruguay) - Wine Review

After enjoying the 2016 Bodega Garzón Reserva Tannat from Uruguay earlier this week, tonight's wine review is a lovely white wine from the same producer. Like the Tannat, this will also be coming to LCBO VINTAGES on July 6th.

It is produced by Bodega Garzón at their sustainable estate winery in Punta del Este in southeastern Uruguay. The winery is located over natural terraces and built in the hills, using a gravity-flow system to gently move the wine through the various stages, which allows Garzón to produce fine wines of the utmost quality. Their energy-efficient facilities also generate their own energy via wind and solar cells. Impressively, their 19,050 m² building has a capacity of 2.2 million litres and is the first sustainable, LEED certified winery outside of North America.

While Uruguay is known more for their red wines, Albariño was actually the first varietal planted on the property at Bodega Garzón. This white wine varietal thrives in Maldonado due to its proximity to the ocean and it's soil, which are both similar to Albariño’s home in Galicia in northwestern Spain.

Tasting Note:

BODEGA GARZÓN RESERVA ALBARIÑO 2018 - Maldonado, Uruguay (#646802) (XD) - $21.95
Hand-picked and sorted, this Albariño spent 3 to 6 months on the lees in stainless steel tanks. The pretty nose offers fragrant and ripe apricot and peach aromas with hints of lemon citrus. It is medium-full bodied on the structured palate that has a slight spritzy character. Dry flavour profile with citrus, tangy grapefruit, white floral and herbally notes that are lifted with fresh, crisp, and bright acidity. Stone and citrus fruit flavours give way to mineral notes on the long, crisp finish. Score: 90 pts

Read More

Castelo do Mar Albariño 2016 (Spain) - Wine Review

Tonight's delicious wine will be coming to LCBO VINTAGES on March 17.

This white wine is produced by the Pazo do Mar Group, a family business with over 40 years of experience in producing Galician wines in northwestern Spain, just north of Portugal. The winery, Veiga da Princesa, is located in Arbo, Pontevedra, and produces only single estate/property wines using modern equipment and winemaking techniques. It was formed after merging more than 200 small farms that were owned by more than 70 different owners, with the first vines planted in 2002.

The Albariño vines for this wine come entirely from their own 18 hectare estate on granite soils in Tea County. The vines were cultivated on trellises, which helps produce grapes that are airy and sun-kissed, while also less acidic when compared to other vine-training techniques. This wine was hand-harvested and raised completely in stainless steel tanks using indigenous yeasts.

Tasting Note:

CASTELO DO MAR ALBARIÑO 2016 - DO Rías Baixas, Spain (#488734) (XD) - $17.95
Screw cap. This has a fairly generous nose featuring citrus, green apple, white flower and lemon oil aromas. On the ripe medium-to-full bodied palate, this has appealing lemon oil, citrus, and orchard fruit flavours. Some herbally notes add complexity as it warms in the glass. Fresh, crunchy, and balanced acids offer nice texture. Hints of stony mineral come through on the mid-palate and on the long, juicy finish. Score: 88+ pts

Read More