Winemaker Notes
This treasure resembles liquid gold in the glass. Almonds, marmalade, and matcha green tea notes come together with a surprising balance of honeyed fruits, balanced acidity, and a fresh finish.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
2017 was an extremely dry year in Málaga, and the Moscatel grapes for the sweet 2017 Molino Real were picked early (starting August 14th). Sorting was very important in this heterogeneous year; the fermentation was long and complex in 225-liter oak barrels, and the wine matured slowly at low temperature for 20 months in barrel. It's 13.57% alcohol and has 135 grams of sugar. It feels a bit roasted—there was a burning wind from Africa—and the ripeness without one bunch was different. The wine has musky aromas and flavors within the classical notes of the Molino Real (to me bay leaf and condensed milk). It's very intense on the palate, sweet but with a kind of lightness that makes it more aerial, not ethereal but not heavy at all and with freshness. It keeps the level in this very unusual year.
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!