Morgadío Albariño Rías Baixas 2015

Morgadío always seems to capture the essence of Albariño, and this is certainly true in the 2015 vintage. The 2015 Morgadío Albariño Rías Baixas comes across as a truly dry wine that exhibits sophisticated fruit flavors, pinpoint minerality, and balanced acidity. Morgadío adheres to the traditional style of Albariño, which means a focused, highly structured wine with laser-like precision. The wine’s fruit emerges subtly, almost imperceptively. Dry, pure, and aromatic, this remarkable white wine whispers the enticing aromas of freshly picked apples and pears. It fills the mouth with fresh, racy flavors before finishing crisp and bracing. Morgadío’s Albariño is a white wine for people who appreciate a truly dry white wine. In true Rías Baixas style, the 2015 Morgadío Albariño bears no resemblance to the fruity, oak infused confections that many New World producers call dry, nor is it one of those eviscerated, tasteless white wines that some Old World producers still refer to as “classics.” Instead, Morgadío has once again crafted a brilliant Albariño that will continue to develop in bottle for at least another year or two. We suggest serving the 2015 Morgadío Albariño moderately chilled (40° F).

With the sea so close and playing such an integral part in the lives of the people of Galicia, Rías Baixas pairs the region’s abundant seafood with its finest Albariño, which is a hard combination to beat. The 2015 Morgadío Albariño Rías Baixas is, indeed, the perfect foil to sautéed scallops, grilled snapper, crabmeat salad, and most anything that once inhabited the sea. Pan seared halibut; seafood tacos; ceviche; and pork and shrimp stuffed tacos with fried broccoli, black beans and corn, all provide tasty accompaniments to the 2015 Morgadío Albariño. Sushi, sashimi and fresh or fried Thai-style spring rolls also provide superb complements to this wine. We also support pairing Morgadío’s Albariño with Spain’s finest cheeses, especially Manchego, Mahon, and mild goat cheeses. Enjoy!

Morgadío is a unique farm and winery in the Rías Baixas (ree-ahs-buy-shuss) appellation of Galicia. Meaning “only son” in Gallego, the Spanish dialect of Spain’s Galician coast, Morgadío specializes in Spain’s most expensive and important white grape variety: Albariño. Within Rías Baixas, there are three separate districts, but none are as great as the Condado do Tea around Morgadío. Located on the banks of the Miñho River in a sunny amphitheater, reminiscent of Germany’s famous Rheingau, Morgadío enjoys a benign climate, southern exposure, and superb terroir of reflective granite that allows it to fashion Spain’s fullest and most notable Albariño.

Morgadío came to life with the recent resurrection of the legendary Albariño varietal in the early 1980s. Owned by the Méndez family of nearby Orense, Morgadío is planted entirely to Albariño and is considered to be the driving force in restoring Albariño to its exalted status as Spain’s foremost white wine. And not only does Morgadío possess one of the largest plantings of the varietal (50 hectares or 110 acres); it has cultivated the technology and techniques that have transformed Albariño from a local legend to an international celebrity. Morgadío produces two Albariños, the estate’s flagship wine (this month’s feature) and Legado del Conde, a lighter style of Albariño meant for early consumption.

Until the late 1980s Galicia’s legendary Albariño grape remained just that – a legend. Before the 1990s much speculation swirled around the origin of the rare and sometimes exceptional Albariño variety, further fueling interest. But it would not be until the grape traveled beyond Galicia that the world would come to know Albariño’s truly pure flavors and natural acidity, traits that would eventually seal Albariño’s position as Spain’s (and one of Europe’s) most expensive wine grapes. However, the high cost involved in making Albariño caused many before this millennium to overproduce the varietal or stretch its production with less expensive grapes, which resulted in inevitable disappointment on the part of adventurous tasters in search of the wine world’s Holy Grail. Formerly, authentic Albariño was produced inconsistently and only in miniscule lots. With the establishment of the Rías Baixas appellation in 1988 and an ongoing movement led by Morgadío to recuperate and assure the authenticity of Albariño, Albariño now enjoys the reputation of being Spain’s most compelling white grape variety.