2022 ODE TO SEA ALBARIÑO

$42
San Luis Obispo Coast
SIP Certified Sustainable

PLACE

The Spanish Springs Vineyard is only two miles from the Pismo Beach landfall of the Pacific, giving us the closest Albariño to the ocean in all of America. It’s a truly special site and one that has quickly become a local winemaker favorite. When compared to Albariño from the Edna Valley (just a few miles away), fruit from here is even racier and zestier. It’s natural acidity is off the charts. There is a minuscule amount of Albariño planted at Spanish Springs, consisting of a south facing 2.17 acre block planted on sandy loam soils. This is as cool as a site gets for California. The world’s greatest Albariños are typically grown just miles from the sea. From the soils to the climate, the nearby Pacific defines this site, hence this being our “Ode to the Sea.”

AROMATICS

You instantly know this wine hails from fruit grown close to the sea. Salty Meyer lemon and spice jumps out of the glass. Those aromatics are backed by peach, jasmine, crushed rock and coriander. Barrel fermentation brings an added dimension of key lime pie. Just from the aromatics you call tell this wine is full of energy and tension.

PALATE

The palate brings a ton of energy, zest and tang. Salty citrus, almost like the salt rim of a margarita meets a creamy texture of ripe stone fruit and lime. This wine was barrel fermented and aged in older French oak barrels. This helps bring in textural elements you don’t typically see in Albariños. However, salinity and citrus are the driver here. The energetic fruit and barrel aging play well off each other. Just read the back label, we call this “where tension meets texture.”