I’ve never come across this grape before, but I will definitely be on the look out in the future.
2014 Bodegas Ponce Manchuela Reto- Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, Manchuela (7/24/2017)
Wow, this is tasty! First time I’ve tried an Albilla. Somewhere in between a Sancerre and a white Rhone I’d say, rather than a Vouvray. Stony brightness with a touch of savoriness make it energetic like a good Sancerre, with the aromatics and almost oily texture of a Roussane/Marsanne blend. White peach, green Apple, plumeria, white pepper and a slightly oxidative nuttiness in a good way. Screaming deal at $16. (90 pts.)
Viura, and sometimes Godello too. Any others worth seeking out?
For this wine, though, it wasn’t just the texture - it was also the profusion of floral/white peach/green apple aromatics, rather than citrus-tropical fruit. Delicious either way, but good to have something new. I’m still thinking about it this morning, which is usually a good sign.
Viura is much more widely planted, often under different names. Godello is close - it was almost extinct until a few people started working with it in the 1980s. It can be made in an oaked style or unoaked, both can be pretty good.
Abilla is much rarer. Some say that the texture of the grape is oily or waxy and that it darkens quickly, but I think there just isn’t a lot made and we really don’t know how it’s going to be if made by a number of producers.
On the leaner side would of course be Albariño and Albarin, which can be very Loire-like. Also of course, Hondarribi Zuri from the Basque Country, with the Atlantic influence.
Similarly, if you can get a good one, would be Xarel-lo, which can be made into a very nice, tart, crisp wine, and the less well-known Prensal Blanc, which can have a grassy, Loire-like tone. Another that may have a maritime influence sometimes, if that’s what you’re looking for, is Listán Blanco, but that’s uneven and there aren’t a lot of really good ones. Then is the sherry grape Palomino, which some people are playing with these days. I think the jury is out. I’ve had it from Argentina though, and it’s interesting there, in a much different climate. Also down south is Zalema and I’m not aware of any available in the US.
Don’t forget, until recently, Spain had more white grape acreage than red, although a lot of it was Airén, which is increasingly being grubbed up. However, that’s kind of an interesting one - a lot of those vines are really old now and some people are even trying to make good wine from it. If they’re right, it can be somewhat like Carinena, in the way a formerly maligned grape can become a star in good hands. Haven’t had any great ones yet though.
Thanks for the insights Greg. I’ve had all that you named except for the Prensal Blanc and the Zalema. Agreed on Listan Blanco - I’ve had one from Lanzarote that was quite good and I’ve chased ever since, but since then most have been quaffable at best. From what I’ve been told, it’s actually the same grape as Palomino.
Yep. We used to import a few and they were nice enough. Even Muscat from Penedes that was made into a very crisp, white wine.
And Palomino and Listán Blanco are the same, or different if you talk to the people in the different places. But then so is Albilla, according to many.
Locals like to claim special things for their pet grapes and the Listán producers were making still wine, whereas the sherry producers weren’t, so I just kept them all separate in my head, besides which I’d first encountered Albilla from the north.
But back in the 1500s, the Spanish recorded bringing Albilla to Peru from the Canary Islands. That’s where they brought the “mission” grape from as well. It got used for Pisco in Peru, but in the 1700s, it was supposedly planted widely in Toro, in the Basque country, and even in Rioja, where it was used for still wine. Some suggest that it’s a family of grapes rather than a variety of its own.
Airén, at some point, was the most widely planted grape variety in the world. Just saying
Until very, very recently. That’s because Franco had a deal with the French where they’d ship it over to be made into brandy. Not Cognac of course, or anything else DOC protected, not ever, because that would be, um, cheating. But now that the French turn over Spanish tankers full of wine, there’s just not the same market. So bye bye Airén.