Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: For many California wineries, Albariño is a difficult grape to handle with the resultant wine being heavy or unbalanced. The 2017 Hill Family Estate successfully navigates away from those pitfalls. TASTING NOTES: This wine is alive and bright, with excellent clarity. Its aromas and flavors of ripe fruit, aromatic flowers, and perky citrus should pair it well a grilled shrimp salad. (Tasted: February 27, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
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.