Winemaker Notes
Navaherrerros Blanco is a white wine made from albillo grapes fromevery vineyard in the estate and the macabeo from single plot. Through different soils, orientations and microclimates, it expresses San Martin de Valdeiglesias’ terroir.
Blend: 70% Albillo Real, 30% Macabeo
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Navaherreros Blanco de Bernabeleva is a similar blend to the 2016—60% Albillo Real and 40% Macabeo—and it shows the freshness that the Albillo Real usually has in warmer years, when the ripening is fast and the phenolic ripeness is perhaps lower while the acidity remains a little higher. This is a constant when tasting the 2017s next to the 2018s, when the warmer year (2017) produced fresher whites and the cooler year (2018) seems to have delivered riper whites with more honeyed character. There is balanced and low alcohol (12%) from grapes that were picked starting the 2nd of August. The wine is harmonious, and the varieties feel very integrated. They produced 14,500 bottles that were bottled in July 2018. Rating: 90+
White grapes are used in two famous types of Spanish wine, Sherry and Cava, but we will limit this discussion to still whites. Let’s begin with perhaps the best known and most highly regarded internationally, Albariño . Produced in the region of Rías Baixas, just above Portugal in northwestern Spain, Albariño typically sees no or little oak and is medium to medium-plus in body. Aroma and flavor notes often include citrus and peach, often with subtle floral notes and a suggestion of sea spray, giving the wine a zesty feel. Often bottled as a single varietal, Albariño is sometimes blended with other indigenous grapes like Loureira and Treixadura. Try one of these Spanish whites from Forjas del Salnes.
Let’s look at a few other Spanish white wines. Godello also hails from northwestern Spain and presents a profile of grapefruit, minerality and a slight smoky quality. Enjoy a bottle from Bodegas Avancia. The region of Rueda, northwest of Madrid, is home to Verdejo , which makes refreshing, un-oaked white wines whose herbal vibrancy recalls Sauvignon Blanc . Protos makes a tasty version. Up north in the Basque region, we find the wine called Txakoli (sometimes called Txakolina). Pronounced “sha-ko-LEE,” it’s made from a local grape called Hondurrabi Zuri and is light, fresh, citrusy, dry … and with razor sharp acidity that makes it a fantastic partner with local seafood and tapas. Ameztoi Gertariako is a good Spanish white wine producer to check out.
The Penedѐs region, best known for the oceans of delicious Cava it sends to the world, also produces still Spanish whites, sometimes from international varieties like Chardonnay , and often from the same grapes used for Cava. These include Parellada, Xarel-lo and Macabeo. Avaline produces a fine example of Penedes white. Finally, we visit the Rioja region. While it is historically and internationally famous for its reds, Rioja also produces fine Spanish white wines. These are usually based on Viura (the local name for Macabeo) and make good everyday sippers, although some aged versions can be stunningly complex. A good place to start is the white Rioja from Bodegas Muga.
As you can see, Spanish white wines offer a vast opportunity for exploration!