La Caña Navia 2024

La Caña Navia is an Albariño from Salnés, in the Rías Baixas region of Galicia, made by Bodegas La Caña under Jorge Ordóñez. It sets out to show a deeper side of the grape than the usual bright, immediate style. The vines grow on granitic soils close to the Atlantic, where the sea breeze and cool, damp climate keep acidity high and lend a saline edge to the fruit. This wine is aged for 12 months on its lees in barrel, a longer and more textured élevage than the steel-raised norm for Albariño. Barrel ageing gives a slow oxygen exchange that adds breadth, while the extended lees contact builds body, fine creaminess and savoury depth without covering the wine's coastal character. Old vines and low yields concentrate the fruit. The colour is bright, and the nose is broad and enveloping, with ripe white and stone fruit alongside clear citrus and a floral note of jasmine. The palate is fuller and rounder than a young Albariño, textured yet held together by that maritime acidity, closing long and mineral. Serve at 10 to 12 degrees in a white wine glass, with shellfish, white fish, roast chicken or pork.