2010 ‘Sketch Albarino’ by
Raul Perez—This
Albarino is particulary nifty not only because it is a single vineyard Albarino
from a top notch, small production producer in Rias Baixas, but because it is
bottle-aged for 60 days, 90 feet UNDERWATER.
Yup, after fermentation in concrete eggs and a year of barrel aging, this wine
is bottled, stacked into a cage and sunk into the Atlantic Ocean where it is
allowed to incorporate a touch of brininess that its cork breathes into the
bottle.
The
result is a true testament to the quality of Albarino. The evolution of this
wine from the pop of the cork to the very last sip (after a few hours of air)
was also nothing short of incredible. At first whiff, this wine showed off
particularly rich dried fruit aromas of apricots, peaches, pairs, quince, and
even a touch of a raisony quality that was brilliantly punctuated by that faint
but unmistakable aroma of the ocean—seawater.
Damn—I
thought—this can’t get any better. But it did. After an hour, the flamboyant
orchard fruit that was once so dominant faded into the background and the
‘Sketch’ started tasting more like a young White Burgundy than an Albarino.
Flinty minerality, and a soft lemony limey creaminess suggested Meursault more than Rias Baixas—all the while, maintaining the marine saltiness that
makes it so distinct. In the third hour, it changed again almost reverting to
its original state, although perhaps a bit tempered. A distinct sweet spice now
punctuated its ripe tree fruit and we quaffed it down with dessert on the way.
An experience for sure.
After
the ‘Sketch’ we opened the most recent disgorgement of the Krug Grand Cuvee—which was rich, decadent, endlessly complex, and
perfectly balanced—as it always is. This is incredible Champagne. I’ve been
told that this wine is composed of upwards of 180 base wines—and it shows
through in the divine complexity of this wine. A magnificent result of Krug’s
artful and iconic blending.
