Spanish whites step up to the palate

Frank Sutherland and Kate Sutherland
Gannett News Service

For many years, Spain really lagged in high-quality wine production.

Spanish wines, save for those from only a few regions, were unremarkable at best. But then the country’s wine industry seemed to make a unified decision to revamp its product. Winemakers replaced antiquated equipment with state-of-the-art technology and New World methods, and Spanish wine quality has skyrocketed since.

Now great, often inexpensive wines are produced all over the country.

We’ve reviewed five Spanish white wines this week; next week we’ll talk about Spanish reds. We were very impressed by this entire flight of wines, especially considering that they all cost less than $15. The results:

2006 Martin Codax Albarino, $14.99

The aroma suggested lemon rind, banana, hay, dried apricot and a hint of sea salt. On the palate, we found orange marmalade, white pepper and wet stone with a mix of flowers and minerals on the finish. The combination of a complex nose, racy minerality and a lingering finish made this our favorite.

2006 Albet I Noya Xarel-lo Classic, $12.99

The bouquet offered scents of kiwi, sour fruits, minerals, baby shampoo and cream. Bright and fresh with tart flavors on the tongue, the wine had high acids and a weighty texture. The heavy, pleasant texture was unexpected, considering the tart, acidic nature of the wine. This wine was our second favorite.

2005 Osborne Solaz Blanco Viura, $8.99

We discovered lemon-lime fruit scents with fresh fennel and tarragon and a touch of earthiness. The wine was subtle and soft in the mouth with tastes of lemon and lavender plus dried herbs. This blend ranked third in our tasting.

Read the entire article: http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080303/LIFE05/803030307/1079/life

Sphere: Related Content