Aromatic yet austere on palate, elegant without fanfare. Amazing winery.
WINE DETAILS:
- Grape: Albillo
- Alcohol: 12.5%
- Wine: Yunquera
- Vintage: 2018
- Winery: Valduero
- Location: Castilla y León, Spain
- Date: 12/19/20
- Distributor: Ballester Hermanos
Curious Synonyms: Verdaguilla, Ojo de Liebre, Picapol, Albuela, Blanco Castellano
Nerd Alert: First written mention of Albillo is from the 15th century in Agricultura General by Gabriel Alonso de Herrera in which he says that the wine made from this variety is described as “very clear, with gentle color and taste”. He also states that the wine can be kept for quite some time but that it improves in quality if mixed with other varieties such as Cigüente, Moscatel or Hebén. In 2010, ampelographers using DNA analysis discovered a parent-offspring relationship between Albillo and the Italian wine grape variety Prié blanc which was growing in the Ávila province under the name Legiruela but it is not yet clear which grape is the parent and which grape is the offspring.
Personal Note: As many of us, this holiday season was one based out of virtual interactions. This past Saturday we had an online party with a group of friends that has been having virtual tastings throughout the year. As part of the party, we had a 12 bottle paulée and we organized to send each other mini 115ml bottles. As I normally do, I participated with a white wine and it was this Albillo. I gave everyone a few hints and then I saw as they tried to guess. Quite fun actually. Someone actually got it after a few of the others had some close calls. The reality is that Albillo is quite austere on it’s own in palate but it has a subtle aromatic characteristic. That’s why they use it for blends on certain red wines. And that’s one of the reasons this project makes sense to me. To understand how blends work, one must first understand how the grapes behave independently.
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*Sources for the wine facts are from: Wine Searcher, Wikipedia, Vivino, wine.com, and the wineries websites.
