Adegas Gran Vinum, Rias Baixas DO (Galicia, Spain) Albariño 2020

 This is the best rendition of Albariño I’ve tasted this year, and though it carries a premium price, it is worth every penny, and surpasses in quality several wines that are my annual benchmarks (such as Pazo de Señorans, Fillaboa and Granbazan).  In relation to those outstanding Albariños, this is physically denser and more concentrated, but without sacrificing any freshness, maintaining virtually perfect fruit-to-acidity balance through a long, symmetrical, mineral-tinged finish.  The aromas show the lightest touch of floral scents without seeming perfumed, and the flavors are impressively deep but still precise, with no indication at all that the wine’s sheer size was achieved by pushing ripeness past an optimal point before harvesting.  This excellent producer turns out three less expensive wines (Mar de Viñas and Nessa, both with list prices of $18 and Esencia Diviña at $24), all of which are excellent.  Yet this wine, sourced from a single, estate vineyard, is stunning stuff that will very likely alter your sense of how good Albariño can be, and offer a reference point against which to judge everything else from this appellation.  On top of all that, I’d bet it will become even better with a few more years in bottle…I just don’t know how much better for how many years.  But there’s no doubt that this is a superb wine in its own right while also being a clear category leader.