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Waimea Estates Albariño
I have long been a fan of wines from the Waimea Estate in Nelson , New Zealand . Their Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris are lovely wines , at a reasonable price . Recently I also purchased their 2018 Albariño from Majestic wines (£ 13.99 a bottle or £ 10.99 in a mix of six ). The Majestic website itself exclaims : “ The Waimea takes the best of Spanish Albariño and adds an extra level of New Zealand exuberance ”. Here we get peach , apple , citrus fruit , orange blossom , floral notes and , as often is the case , vibrant acidity .
Quinta de Soalheiro Alvarinho Soalheiro
We now move to Portugal . Yet again I go back some time with this wine …. here again to 2012 . Again we find citrus , stone fruits and slight salty minerals . Great acidity , balance and elegance . This was a serious Vinho Verde . Today you will find more recent vintages available to buy . The 2021 vintage will give you peach , apple , pear and stone fruit notes . A very fresh wine with a little spritz , which is selling at around the £ 17.95 a bottle mark ( see Uncorked ).
Newton Johnson Albariño some salinity and good acidity . Very drinkable . The 2021 vintage is variously on sale , online , at around the £ 13.75 - £ 14.65 a bottle mark ( see Camber Wines , ND John Wines and Field and Fawcett wines )
Casal De Ventozela Alvarinho Vinho Verde
I had not tried this wine before this last couple of weeks ….. but I spotted it at Majestic when purchasing some Waimea Estate wines . At £ 11.99 a bottle (£ 9.99 in a mix of six ) I thought I would give it a go . This proved to be an extremely fresh and expressive wine . Again citrus fruit and some apple to the fore . Here , apparently , complexity and depth have been added by ageing the wine in oak barrels and time spent on its lees . Very drinkable .
Whilst Albariño , with its delicious acidity , makes it an excellent wine to drink with fish and seafood , it does also lend itself to simply being a great wine for a hot day and often the perfect wine for a midweek supper in the garden . Currently , sitting here in the cold , such thoughts seem a long way away . However , as we move through spring and into the summer , let ’ s hope for some better weather . If and when it arrives , try some Albariño in the garden ! If it doesn ’ t , or you can ’ t wait to see if it arrives , then just try it with your seafood … wherever you are .
Next , we move to South Africa . This wine comes from the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley in South Africa . I am currently finishing the 2020 vintage of wine ( bought from the Wine Society @ £ 16 a bottle ). This is an energetic wine . Floral and exotic with tropical fruits , lemons , limes and apple . Some salinity , great acidity and a touch of spritz ? The 2021 vintage is currently on sale , online , at around the £ 18.50 / £ 19 a bottle mark ( see WoodWinters or EW Wines ).
Orballo Rias Baixas Albariño
Over the years I have bought a few vintages of this wine . This is a very easy to drink wine with aromas of stone fruit , apples and citrus fruit . Mixed in you have the usual floral notes with wirrallife . com 31