O.K. sometimes a Rueda, or even better a good Cava…
Do I mis something?
What is your favorite Spanisch white wine??
HarryS
p.s. except Sherry ![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}
At the moment: 2010 Bodegas Abanico Godello Valdeorras Tempestad
Avanthia Godello. The richest of the Godellos I’ve tried, and just super damn tasty. To me, it’s like a white Burgundy with a twist lime. Yummy 
Lots of super food friendly DRY muscats, LdH Rioja Blanco with at least 15 years on it, Godello for sure…
LdH Gravonia
Yes! This is a super wine.
Harry, there are many interesting whites made in Spain, from Albarin and Albarino to Xarel-lo, and there are mutations of Tempranillo and Garnacha that produce wonderful white wines. Godello was almost extinct until quite recently when winemakers started working with it carefully. It can produce a really wonderful wine. Rioja has been making white wines forever, and some of those age as long as some of their reds. Try something from Marques de Murrietta from the 1960s or 1970s for example. Some spend significant time in oak and they’re really unlike any other wines in the world.
Until very recently, the most widely planted grape in Spain, and hence the world, was Arien, but that’s been pulled up with remarkable speed. However, there are some winemakers even making interesting wine from that. The traditional Cava grapes all make good still wines, particularly Xarel-lo.
And there’s some really good dry Muscat that’s aromatic, but quite crisp and tart. Ditto some Malvasia. And if you get a chance, try the Vijiriega from Veleta. I don’t know anyone else making it, but it’s quite good!
Finally, don’t forget Palomino. It’s used to make sherry - one of the world’s great white wines.
Perfect for the summer: a few glasses of Txakoli!
Same here.
Thank you Greg and all others for your answers.
Its enough to keep me busy this summer. From a Dutch Winegeek I received this list with rather rare wines.
Ossian- Castilla Y Leon
Sketch - Raul Perez
Lo Costers Blanc - Celler Sangenis I Vaque ( rare)
Mas Sinen Blanc - Burgos Porta ( very rare)
Trio Infernal 0/3 )
Belondrade y Lurton
Dido " Macabeu I Garnatxa " Venus La Universal
Capellanía - Marqués de Murrieta
Shaya Habis 2009
Ossian Capitel - Castilla Y Leon ( from the makers of Aalto )
Nun Vinya dels Taus
Pazo Piñeiro de Lusco - Adega Pazos de Lusco Rías Baixas
Coma Blanca 2009 - Viticultors Mas d’en Gil
No Idea if this is for sale in the U.S.
best regards
HarryS
Ossian is organic and it’s owned in part by Javier Zaccagnini, who has partnered with Mariano Garcia for Aalto. Rueda isn’t too far from Ribera del Duero, where he was once president of the governing body. He found some old vines so started making wine in Rueda. It’s unique - he picks quite ripe, but it’s good. From nearby you should try the wines from Blanco Nieva - particularly their Pie Franco, which I used to sell. Also from pre-phylloxera vines, one of the few in the world. Ageworthy and quite good and remarkably inexpensive for what you get, especially as compared to say, something from Burgundy costing much more.
Sketch is of course Albariño from Rias Baixas, made by Raul Perez. He ages it underwater. That’s really more of a gimmick than anything - you can’t taste the fact that it’s been aged in the ocean, but it’s good wine nonetheless. Albariño comes in various guises, from fruity to leaner and more like a Muscadet, depending on where it’s grown. I would encourage you to try several - those more inland vs those nearer the coast. Nearby, you can get Albarin, which people swear is not related, despite the similarity of the name.
The Dido is an example of the white Garnacha I was talking about, with Macabeo, which is better known as Viura in Rioja. Of course, they’re using the Catalan spelling - it’s from Monstant and made by Sara Perez, who is no relation to Raul up in the northwest. It’s OK, not as remarkable as some of her reds IMHO.
The Coma Blanca from Mas d’en Gil is from Priorat, near Monstant, and it’s also a blend of white Garnacha, although with Viognier and I forgot whatever else. There are some people who love it and think that it, along with Rene Barbier’s white, are the best whites from Priorat and perhaps Spain. I don’t really agree but it’s good wine.
Shaya is a project of Jorge Ordonez and Juan Gil, who with Chris RIngland brought you El Nido, Alto Moncayo, and so many other custom wines from Spain. Jorge wants to own the winery as well as import the stuff, so he got rid of his former Verdejo and started the Shaya project. Not to knock his wines at all - he’s done more for Spanish wine than anybody IMO, but it’s just another Verdejo. Verdejo is another of those grapes that’s cheap, good, and so much better than most Sauvignon Blanc because it doesn’t have that dreaded green note. I do sometimes mistake it for a really good SB when tasting blind though, so that should give you some idea of what to look for. If however, you really do like that green note in SB, then by all means get some from Rueda because it has that for days.
Belondrade y Lurton is another Verdejo and is probably better-known and mroe expensive. Like the Shaya, it’s also got some barrel treatment, aging on the lees, so I would suggest trying an unoaked Verdejo and then this one.
The Capellanía from Marqués de Murrieta is an example of what happens when old time producers change their styles. It’s still Viura, but less oaky and less oxidized than their whites used to be. I thought that they made some of the longest-lived whites in Rioja but I have no idea if the newer style is going to be as long-lived. It’s less oaky than it was, and less lemony, but still good for young drinking.
The Basque wines from the north, particularly Txacolina, are much loved by some people. They can be good and they tend, like Vinho Verde, to have a slight fizz sometimes and low alcohol. The problem is that while they’re good, they’re often a little more money than they’re really worth. You can get really enjoyable Vinho Verde for a pittance, so why pay more just for an exotic name?
Santiago Ruiz is sometimes called the father of Albariño. Years ago, before most people outside of Spain were aware of the grapes, he championed the local grapes of Rías Baixas, including Caíño blanco, Loureira, Treixadura, Godello, and Torrontés. While Albariño makes up something like 90% of the plantings, people have seen the success of Albariño and are working with the other grapes. So the bodegas Santiago Ruiz makes a blend of Albariño, Loureiro and Treixadura that’s under $20 USD and is seriously crisp and tasty.
Across the country, in Penedes, there are really interesting wines that just can’t find a home in the US because their isn’t a signature brand. You find blends of Parellada, Macabeo, Malvasia, and Chardonnay, or monovarietal bottlings and they can be really good. An unoaked Chardonnay or Muscat from Penedes can be quite revealing.
Ameztoi Txakoli
Botani Moscato Seco
Can Feixes Blanco Seleccio
Do Ferreiro Albarino
Avanthia Godello
LdH Tondonia
With this hot, muggyish weather, yep, Txakoli. Ameztoi and Bengoetxe are both delightful.
You’re welcome Harry…
Some serious notes from GregT here. Much apprecaited.
Greg, a walking encyclopedia
Thanks