Martín Códax OW

Martín Códax was founded in 1986 in Cambados, a coastal town in the Rías Baixas region of Galicia, named after a 13th century Galician troubadour. The winery is a leading authority on Albariño, the native white grape prized for its freshness and its ability to reflect terroir. OW is its orange wine, an unconventional Albariño described as a white with the soul of a red. The grapes are macerated on their skins so the wine takes on an amber hue and a phenolic, textured grip, then it spends seven months in stainless steel on its lees. The steel keeps the fruit clean and precise while the lees ageing adds body and a savoury depth as the yeast cells release mannoproteins. Rías Baixas is cool, wet and Atlantic, with granite and sandy soils, and that maritime setting drives the saline, mineral character that runs through Albariño. The wine is amber in the glass, with a nose of apricot, white peach and orange peel over dried herbs, and a palate that is dry and textured, fuller than a classic Albariño but carried by the grape's signature acidity and sea salt freshness. The finish is clean and slightly almondy. Serve at 10 to 12 degrees. A natural with seafood.