2018 Licia Albarino

SOLD OUT! The 2018 Licia Albarino is fairly new to the store, but it’s already become one of our top-selling Spanish whites. An Albarino with more body and depth than most in this price range, it’s still crisp and refreshing. And it’s my pick for the Summer White Wine of the Week.

“Licia” is a shortening of Galicia, the region in Northwest Spain that is home to the Albarino grape. With vineyards in southern part of Rias Baixas where the vineyards get more sun hours, the resulting wine is riper, fuller, and more concentrated on the palate. And I’m all for the super mineralic, briny-styled Albarinos that all the hipsters are crazy about. But to my palate, the acidity in those can be super-aggressive and raw. I’ll take this one all day over those!

2018 Licia Albarino 

“RICH, FULL-BODIED, AND FULL FLAVORED, YET FRESH, CRISP, AND VIVACIOUS.” – Josh Spurling – 93 POINTS

SOLD OUT

Are you a bit tired of drinking the same old Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and/or Pinot Grigio? It’s time to branch out and try something new. Try Albarino!! One of Spain’s greatest white grapes, Albarino is more popular than ever. Unfortunately, not all Albarinos are created equally. Due to high demand, many examples of Albarino come from large wine factories that release uninspiring and boring versions. Licia Albarino is not one of those!

Far from it, this is a wine that is made with a ton of TLC. The first time I tasted it, I noticed that the color was a bit deeper and more golden. And when the wine hit my palate, it was fuller bodied and more concentrated than most Albarino. I immediately guessed that the juice and the skins spent some time together, and I was right! Winemaker and Galicia native José María Ureta Guzmán is a big fan of letting the juice and the grape skins “hang out” together for a bit. This is the same process used for orange wines, but José prefers to separate the juice from the skins before the wine turns fully orange.

So what’s it like? Like I said before, it pours a beautiful golden color and the nose is all peach, pear, tropical fruits, fresh herbs and mineral. On the palate, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. This is much fuller and concentrated Albarino. But despite it’s bigger and richer profile, it is still wonderfully balanced with refreshing acidity. Trust me, there’s nothing buttery about this wine at all. Instead, the palate if packed with flavors of ripe citrus and tropical fruits, along with notes of golden apple and white flowers.

Simply put, this is what you should be drinking during these dog days of summer. It’s a great porch, pool, or beach sipper, but it’s absolutely awesome when served alongside fresh fish and seafood. One of my favorite things to enjoy it with is my wife’s fish curry served over coconut rice. Sounds good doesn’t it? Trust me, it is!