Burgans, Rias Baixas (Galicia, Spain) Albariño 2020

 I threw this wine into a flight of Albariño wines I was tasting, just because it happened to be around — which it is also in many retail outlets, and at reasonable prices, so why not?  Well, the wine was terrific.  This was not quite as surprising as my run-up may make it seem, as Burgans is always good, but this 2020 was among the best bottles of it I’ve ever tasted, going back many years.  The vintage was quite good, and with grapes sourced solely from the Val do Salnés sub-region, this wasn’t simply cobbled together from all over, and no doubt the wise choice of a screw-cap closure has helped — but still, this vastly exceeded my expectations.  Along with very expressive stone fruit notes of ripe peaches, there’s a tropical note recalling mango in here too, and yet the acidity is up to the task of keeping these ripe flavors seeming fresh.  There’s real richness in this, and indeed more ripe richness than would be advisable as a pairing with oysters, so cast your net for seafood with more heft, or pair this with poultry in a fruity preparation.  Yikes, what an accomplishment for a wine that seems to be made in considerable quantity!