Albarino Pazo de Rubianes Garcia Caamaño 2015 Tasting Notes
The appearance was clear, pale lemon. The nose was clean, medium intensity. Aromas consisted of lime, grapefruit, pineapple, honeysuckle, and herbs. The wine was still developing when we tasted it in August 2019.
On the palate, the wine was dry with high acidity, low tannin, medium alcohol (13%), medium body, with pronounced flavor intensity. In addition to the aromas, upon tasting there were pleasant hints of yeast and saltiness.
The quality was very good. Drink the wine now, it could age 1-2 years more. The price point is over $30. We drank the wine over a period of three days and stored the bottle in the refrigerator. On the third day, the flavor did start to lose its freshness and intensity.
Why does Albarino taste like this?
This wine comes from the Rías Baixas region of Northwest Spain (Galicia), also known as the “green” region of Spain. One can see the Atlantic Ocean from many of the vineyards in this region of Spain.
The aromas and flavors, as well as high acidity and moderate alcohol levels of this wine result from the combination of the grape variety, cool maritime climate, and fermentation by native yeasts.
There have been significant investments and technology improvements in this region in the past 30 years that have helped Albarino gain popularity as a crisp, dry, fragrant white wine. These advancements include selective harvest in small trays to increase quality and reduce grape damage, crushing as soon as possible after harvest - in a matter of hours, good temperature control from harvest to crushing, fermentation in stainless steel tanks with native yeasts, and aging the wine on the lees for a few months.
If you like the flavors of Pinot Grigio or Riesling, you might like wines like this.
Albarino Pazo de Rubianes Food Pairing
This wine’s high acidity, medium alcohol makes it flexible for pairing with a number of foods.
Classically, Albarino is paired with octopus, sushi, fried oysters, shellfish, and simply prepared saltwater fish, like a grilled red snapper common to the waters of the Southeast USA.
Many people may not like Albarino paired with sweet food or strong-flavored foods like Indian curry - those foods might overpower the Albarino or make it not taste so fresh. If you drink Albarino with green veggies and you don’t like the pairing, consider squeezing some fresh lemon on the green veggies and see if you like that.
Where to Purchase Pazo De Rubianes Wines
We purchase this wine on a visit to the Palace in May 2018 - we joined expat friends on a week-long trip to Spain and Portugal in mid-2018. We just happened to be at the Palace and Winery for a release party. One can tour the vineyards, palace, and botanical gardens, as well as do a wine tasting at Pazo de Rubianes.
In addition to purchasing this wine at the winery, one can purchase this wine online from the winery and a few other online retailers.