In 2001, Earl and Hilda Jones made their first Albariño from a half-acre trial planting of Albariño. That was said to be the first made in this country, and today Abacela has 11 acres and it continues to make a strong case for Albariño as a distinctive white wine. While many textbooks describe the varietal as “delicate” recent vintages by Abacela tell a different story. Much like the 2 preceding vintages this 2022 is vibrant with fresh citrus and lychee in the aroma. But on the palate, it fans out beautifully with lively mouth-coating flavors of peach, spice and lemon that linger thanks to non-stop crisp acidity.
Abacela Wines, Umpqua Valley (Oregon) Albariño 2022
By Norm Roby