Arrocal, Ribera del Duero (Castilla y León, Spain) Albillo Mayor “Blanco de Guardo” 2021 ($43, Grapes of Spain / Aurelio Cabestrero)

Albillo Mayor is an old variety that seems native to central and northwestern Spain, whereas notably more varieties are grown and sold in various Spanish locations under the simple name “Albillo” (which is derived from the Latin word for “white”) or with words other than “Mayor” tacked on. Naturally, this can lead to lots of confusion, but this wine is made from true Albillo Mayor vines that were planted 20+ years ago. It is made with great pride (and considerable expense) by Rodrigo and Aiser Calvo, who have now taken the lead at the family winery of Bodegas Arrocal. Grown at over 3,000 feet of elevation above sea level, this benefits from large swings in temperature between day and night, with cool nights helping preserve acidity. Still, it is a rich and full-bodied wine, with just enough acidity to keep it fresh despite its significant palate weight. The bouquet is relatively restrained, showing just a hint of spring blossoms and vanilla from the oak vessels in which it was aged for 12 months. It turns from interesting to exciting when shifting from sniffing to sipping, with complex flavors including poached pears, tangerines, and just ripened figs. In light of its restrained aromatics but full body and flavors, this is a wine for the table, and would be a great partner for relatively robust foods that can work with white wine, such as swordfish, scallops, salmon, veal, pork, or chicken. Last thing: If you don’t know this grape variety, it may be more helpful to you to know what wine is closest to this one, rather than trying to guess based on my words but without a chance to taste it. The answer is clear: Excellent Sémillon, such as Boekenhoutskloof from South Africa, or a very good one with a little age from Washington State or the Hunter Valley in Australia.
93 Michael Franz