Maria Luisa Lazaro Albarinho 2019 (Bodegas Forjas del Salnes)

Enjoy it now, or cellar for up to 10 years. No need to decant before serving. In Galicia, in Spain’s most northwestern and windy corner, Rodrigo Méndez makes a variety of mould-breaking Spanish wines. This one is 100% Albarinho, with a multilayered nose of lemon peel, grapefruit, apricot, and salty sea spray.

It was created as a tribute to Rodrigo’s grandmother and is one of the best quality Albarinhos out there right now. Bodegas Forjas del Salnés was established in the 2000s in Rías Baixas. Although Rodrigo Méndez originally intended to focus solely on creating ethereal red wines, it was Raul Perez, a famous Spanish wine producer, who encouraged him to explore the distinctive Albarinho wines of the region.

Forjas del Salnés sources its grapes from just 12 hectares of vineyards, spread across the villages of Meaño, Sanxenxo, and Barro, in a windswept, ocean-tinged terroir. In the mouth, this wine is complex and filling.

It shows notes of green apple, pear, lemon zest, and light spice, with undercurrents of minerality and cream. It was fermented on wild yeasts, followed aby 3 years of ageing in a mixture of stainless steel and oak.

Before release, it was aged for 3 more years in the bottle. This is a top-class Albarinho, with a hooked, tangy finish. Consider pairing it with seafood, lemon meringues, or creamy pasta.