Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This rare find in the Napa Valley is bright and floral, with bristling acidity. From an estate-grown site planted in 2012, this white saw no oak, preserving its fruity core of melon, peach and jasmine.
Editors' Choice -
Jeb Dunnuck
Lime, lychee, and tart grapefruits all emerge from the 2018 Albarino, which is racy and vibrant on the palate, with bright acidity balanced by a core of sweet fruit and salinity on the finish.
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Tasting Panel
Fresh, lively, and long, this is Shafer Vineyards’ second label. It’s equal parts crisp, bright, and tangy, with racy acidity and rich minerality.
Bright and aromatic with distinctive floral and fruity characteristics, Albariño has enjoyed a surge in popularity and an increase in plantings over the last couple of decades. Thick skins allow it to withstand the humid conditions of its homeland, Rías Baixas, Spain, free of malady, and produce a weighty but fresh white. Somm Secret—Albariño claims dual citizenship in Spain and Portugal. Under the name Alvarinho, it thrives in Portugal’s northwestern Vinho Verde region, which predictably, borders part of Spain’s Rías Baixas.
Known for elegant wines that combine power and finesse, Carneros is set in the rolling hills that straddle the southernmost parts of both Sonoma and Napa counties. The cooling winds from the abutting San Pablo Bay, combined with lots of midday California sunshine, create an ideal environment for producing wines with a perfect balance of crisp acidity and well-ripened fruit.
This cooler pocket of California lends itself to growing Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah. Carneros is an important source of sparkling wines made in the style of Champagne as well.