Montecillo Singladuras Albariño 2024

Montecillo is a Rioja producer that reached across Spain for the Singladuras wines, and this one is an Albariño from Rías Baixas, made in the Salnés valley near the Galician coast. Salnés is the cradle of Albariño, a cool, damp, Atlantic zone where sandy granite soils drain the frequent rain and the sea air presses its salinity onto the grape. That maritime climate and the granite subsoil are what give Albariño from here its bright acidity, its stone fruit and its coastal, saline edge. The wine is made in a young, direct style, fermented in stainless steel and given a short rest in bottle, with no oak, so the aromatics and the mineral cut of the vineyard come through cleanly. It pours pale yellow with green glints. The nose is lemon, green apple and white flowers, and the palate is dry and fresh, with white peach, citrus peel and a saline, coastal finish. This is Albariño in its purest, most refreshing form. Serve well chilled at 8 to 10 degrees in a white glass.