Spanish Acquisitions
The Age
Saturday October 25, 2008
Patterson Lakes doesn't immediately spring to mind when talking about wine, unless the conversation is with Rollo Crittenden. As it turns out, that's exactly where he's making wines now. He leases the modern winery to accommodate all the work, but this young winemaker also produces pinot noir and chardonnay with a fair smattering of Italian varietals and has added Spanish to the mix. Just for fun. And it's good. Crittenden's latest label is Los Hermanos, meaning siblings. Not surprising, as his sister Zoe is involved in the brand, too, and it will only ever feature two wines - an albarino and tempranillo. The latter will be released next year and it won't be an "overworked, over-oaked" example, he says, but the exciting addition is the albarino, which is out now and has a very cute label. There's not much albarino planted in Australia. The variety hails from Galicia in north-west Spain but its popularity is growing. Crittenden sourced fruit from a vineyard in the King Valley and he sure is pleased with the result. (For a comparison try the Symphonia albarino as it's the same fruit but a differently made wine - a touch more phenolic and richer, excellent nonetheless.) For Los Hermanos, Crittenden put half the juice in stainless steel to retain freshness and vibrancy of the fruit and the other half in old oak with some batonnage to add a touch more complexity and palate weight. "I think we've nailed it varietally," he says. "This is aromatic, crisp, zesty with good acidity and it's perfect with food. What more do you want?" Well, nothing really, as we're trying it with food on this particular day and sure enough, the wine's going down a treat. Albarino is not short on acid so it can cut through richer foods, but seafood works best. Galicia is renowned for its fish, plus the region is cool so the variety tends to struggle with ripeness hence that refreshing crisp acidity. However, albarino has quite a full and rich palate. It can be deceptive. Grown in the wine region with an appellation known as Rias Baixas (pronounced ree-ahs by-shuss) albarino is Spain's most popular white. It's so trendy you'll find it served in bars from Madrid to Barcelona to San Sebastian. And if you head to Portugal, the variety's called alvarinho and found in the Vinho Verde region, although it is often blended. Thanks to the popularity of Spanish wines generally, we're seeing some great examples coming our way including Valminor, and what a joy, the just-released 2007 is in screwcap. Fresh is best as it's prone to oxidation and albarino should be enjoyed as a young wine. (Several bottles of Spanish wines tried during a line-up recently were well and truly gone, so be wary.) Valminor's winemaker also makes Pazo San Mauro, another new addition to the market, which is just fabulous. Finally, another Spanish producer worth seeking out is Valdamor - they make wines only from albarino but in several styles including a fresh, zingy and zesty one, and one know as barrica, which has been aged in French oak for about eight months. It's an altogether richer, more complex wine.
janefaulkner@winematters.com.au -- JANE FAULKNERCRITTENDEN ESTATE LOS HERMANOS ALBARINO $28Plenty to enjoy here, with its attractive floral lift and hints of pear and apple. As the variety promises, it's quite textural without being heavy, round before finishing fresh and clean with fine acidity. A delightful Aussie albarino. PAZO SAN MAURO ALBARINO RIAS BAIXAS 2007 $40Oooh, loving this new wine with its citrus scent, especially grapefruit, with a hint of pear too that follows through on the palate. Plenty of palate weight, a touch phenolic but balanced with a crisp, almost bitey acidity and fresh finish. VALDAMOR ALBARINO RIAS BAIXAS 2006 $39A deliciously richer style with hints of honeysuckle, poached pears and honeyed notes that follow through on the palate. A touch phenolic but lovely mouthfeel and length with plenty of acid to cut through to finish fresh and clean.
© 2008 The Age
Share This