Winemaker Notes
100% Caiño Tinto direct pressed into "Blanc de Noirs" style.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The non-DO blanc de noirs 2023 Albino has a copper color and a perfumed nose with notions of dried rose petals and talcum powder, a little balsamic, perfumed and attractive. The red varieties tend to ripen less, and this has only 11.5% alcohol, keeping a low pH (3.16) and notable acidity, 7.2 grams. It finishes vibrant and tasty. It matured in oak barrels for eight months. Rating: 93+
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James Suckling
Aromas of ginger, wild berries and nervy fruit. The palate is direct, fresh and compelling. A crunchy red with mencia, caino and espadeiro.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Offered in a 1.5-liter bottle, the 2023 Albino Tinto is a Blanc de Noirs-style wine made with old vine Caino Tinto, essentially a red wine made like a white with added pressure. There’s no skin contact, and the grapes spend time in both stainless and neutral barrel. There’s a steely texture to the wine, with aromas of charcuterie and funky earth followed by light layers of tart cranberry and grapefruit. Not made every year, it’s definitely worth a try.
Beyond the usual suspects, there are hundreds of red grape varieties grown throughout the world. Some are indigenous specialties capable of producing excellent single varietal wines, while others are better suited for use as blending grapes. Each has its own distinct viticultural characteristics, as well as aroma and flavor profiles, offering much to be discovered by the curious wine lover. In particular, Portugal and Italy are known for having a multitude of unique varieties but they can really be found in any region.
Named after the rías, or estuarine inlets, that flow as far as 20 miles inland, Rías Baixas is an Atlantic coastal region with a cool and wet maritime climate. The entire region claims soil based on granite bedrock, but the inlets create five subregions of slightly different growing environments for its prized white grape, Albariño.
Val do Salnés on the west coast is said to be the birthplace of Albariño; it is the coolest and wettest of all of the regions. Having been named as the original subregion, today it has the most area under vine and largest number of wineries.
Ribeira do Ulla in the north and inland along the Ulla River is the newest to be included. It is actually the birthplace of the Padrón pepper!
Soutomaior is the smallest region and is tucked up in the hills at the end of the inlet called Ria de Vigo. Its soils are light and sandy over granite.
O Rosal and Condado do Tea are the farthest south in Rías Baixas and their vineyards actually cover the northern slopes of the Miño River, facing the Vinho Verde region in Portugal on its southern bank.
Albariño gives this region its fame and covers 90% of the area under vine. Caiño blanco, Treixadura and Loureira as well as occasionally Torrontés and Godello are permitted in small amounts in blends with Albariño. Red grapes are not very popular but Mencía, Espadeiro and Caiño Tinto are permitted and grown.