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TASTING RESULTS: ALBARINO| by Eric Degerman Top Vineyards producing great wine
E A T NOR 2022 T H WEST W I R N G E
Flanagan, director of vineyard operations for Wahluke Wine Co., to expand the representation of Albariño at Evergreen, a historic contributor to Ste. Michelle’s famed Eroica Riesling project.
Evergreen now ranks as one of the Northwest’s largest plantings of Albariño.
“Our first planting was made in 2009 — a 1.2-acre plot that Craig and Victor have been sourcing from,” Flanagan noted. “We planted an additional 20 acres in 2020.”
That one site would excel with both Riesling and Albariño doesn’t surprise Wolfe, who relies on Crawford Vineyard for his popular PGV — a blend of Pinot Gris and Viognier.
“On the aroma, it is close to Viognier in terms of fruit characteristics, but it is different from Viognier because of the acid, so I guess I’d compare Albariño to a combination of Riesling and Viognier,” Wolfe says. “It’s got the acidity of a Riesling, but it ends up more full-bodied like Viognier.”
Coco Umiker at Clearwater Canyon Canyon in Lewiston, Idaho, quickly made Albariño a part of her white program when she moved into her new estate winemaking facility. Soon after, an Albariño from Crawford Vineyard earned her a Double Platinum — the 2020 Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year’s first Platinum for a white wine.
“It is no surprise that so many of the top Albariño entries are sourced from Crawford Vineyard,” Umiker said. “The Crawfords utilize a derivation of the Geneva Double Curtain, a rare trellis system, to provide the ideal conditions for growing exceptional Albariño. I’m happy people are discovering how delicious Crawford Vineyard fruit is — but I’m now worried about the high demand for their grapes!”
Indeed, Wolfe upped his Albariño contract with the Crawfords for the 2022 vintage.
“We started out producing 130 cases, and this year we released 205 cases,” Wolfe said. “Our plan is to get up to 350 cases from this year’s harvest. We contemplated going up to 600, but I was a bit concerned that we would be doing too much.”
In 1979, the Crawfords entered the industry as growers for Ste. Michelle, which Wolfe was working for at the time. Of their 80 acres of wine grapes, the Crawfords now have 8 acres devoted to Albariño.
“We do have a 43-year-old block of Chardonnay that I would like to pull out,” Charlie Crawford noted. “If so, we would probably plant Albariño since it is adjacent to existing Albariño.”
The versatility of Albariño at the dining table — thanks its brightness and lower alcohol — has helped boost its popularity in the fish-loving Northwest.
“Seafood!” exclaims Wolfe. “Lobster, scallops, oysters. And I’m a big mussels fan, so I like Albariño with that, too.”
It also pairs crab cakes, pasta in a white sauce, casseroles and Asian, Latin and Indian cuisine found throughout the Pacific Northwest.
This judging was staged during August at the Clover Island Inn in historic downtown Kennewick, Wash. The panel featured Gordy Venneri, co-winemaker for Neher Family Wines in Milton-Freewater, Ore.; April Reddout, Reddout Wine Consulting in Kennewick and a columnist for Great Northwest Wine; and Ken Robertson, associate editor/columnist, Great Northwest Wine, Kennewick.
Michael Florentino Cellars 2020 Albariño, Yakima Valley • $20
Woodinville winemaker Brad Sherman focuses his RICHARD DUVAL IMAGES eponymous brand on Bordeaux varieties, but he and Jared Whelchel work with
Italian and Spanish varieties under the Michael
Florentino Cellars label. Albariño is an ideal fit and their flair with it is apparent. It all starts with Crawford Vineyards near Prosser, Wash.
In the cellar, 75% of the lot is fermented in stainless steel tanks, while the rest spent five weeks in acacia barrels. Concentrated aromas feature Granny Smith apple, dusty Bosc pear and a sense of tropicality. On the palate, there’s some fleshiness of white peach — a sense of roundness that’s a sign of the partial (29%) malolactic fermentation — that’s pushed along by lime juice and more green apple flavors. Its long, mouth-watering finish easily overtakes the residual sugar, barely perceptible at 0.5%, and screams for shellfish or Sherman’s suggestion of a cheese plate featuring camembert and brie. The total experience prompted one judge to exclaim, “This is a textbook example for the Northwest,” while another added, “It’s an
Albariño with all of the trimmings.” (200 cases, 13.8% alc.)
Crayelle Cellars 2021 Albariño, Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley • $25
For years, soft-spoken Ivy League graduate Craig Mitrakul has turned Albariño into gold and best-of-class awards at West Coast wine competitions. A key and constant ingredient has been pixie dust found in famed Evergreen Vineyard, the site managed by Ryan Flanagan and the source of some of the country’s top examples of Riesling. As usual, this example of Albariño brings thoughts of walking through a Wenatchee Valley orchard with peaches and green apples. Inside, it turns a bit tropical on the midpalate as notes of crushed Maui Gold
pineapple create a fascinating mouthfeel and give it a ripe and tart approach that addresses the 0.7% residual sugar in an impeccable manner that’s not too racy. “It’s ultra-ripe in a balanced way that makes it magical,” one judge said. (140 cases, 13% alc.)
Coyote Canyon Winery 2021 Coyote Canyon Vineyard Albariño, Horse Heaven Hills • $24
Mike Andrews was a rancher in the Horse Heaven Hills when he graduated from Washington State University. His transition to the wine industry began in 1994 with 20 acres of Cab planted for Columbia Crest. In 2006, he established what are believed to be the first Albariño vines in the state. Since then, he’s earned five Platinum Awards for the white Spanish grape, and he may have another this fall because his winemaker, Justin Michaud, qualified this bottling with a double gold in our tasting. The aromas draw you in with the tart/sweet blend of Granny Smith apple, Key Lime and cotton candy. Despite the slurp of fresh peach on the palate, there’s essentially no perceptible sweetness (0.4% residual sugar) because of the juiciness reminiscent of its green-skinned fruit. “It’s clean and balanced without really strong acidity,” remarked one judge. “There’s a magic factor here, and I’m a fan.” (146 cases, 13.6% alc.)
Barnard Griffin Winery 2021 Albariño, Columbia Valley • $25
Next-gen winemaker Megan Hughes spearheads the white wine program at her family’s Barnard Griffin Winery, and her work here with Albariño adds more acclaim for Crawford Vineyard, a relatively cool site along the Roza in the Yakima Valley near Prosser. There’s no oak involved in the winemaking, which keeps the spotlight on the blend of green apple, lime, peach and tropical notes that make this Spanish grape so popular. A sense of honeysuckle on the midpalate adds complexity, setting the table for the long, juicy and bone-dry finish. (250 cases, 12.9% alc.)
Outstanding! Gold medal — 93 points
Awen Winecraft 2020 Albariño, Applegate Valley • $35
Last year, Great Northwest Wine’s editorial team selected this Medford brand as the Oregon Winery to Watch, and co-owners/co-winemakers Tom Homewood and Sean Hopkins produced a pair of high-scoring Albariños in our comparative tasting. Here, they worked with the Moore family’s Crater View Vineyard, a site near Jacksonville that supplies fruit to a number of Oregon’s top vintners. This Albariño focuses on dusty apples and lime, yet its hallmark is the fascinating body that opens with some fleshiness and picks up some minerality on the way out with lovely acidity that’s akin to a bite of Centennial apple. Look for it in their new tasting room at what’s been known as Whites Country Farm mercantile. (100 cases, 13.7% alc.)
RICHARD DUVAL IMAGES
Charlie and Connie Crawford in the Yakima Valley near Prosser, Wash., grow Albariño for winemakers in three states.
Outstanding! Gold medal — 92 points
Wautoma Springs Wines 2021 Albariño, Columbia Valley • $25
A year ago, Jessica Munnell’s aromatic Sauvignon Blanc emerged as best of class at the Cascadia International. This summer, she turned young plantings of Albariño managed by business partner Tom Merkle into one of our judging’s most distinctive and delicious entries. The fruit source was JMST Vineyard, which is just west of Wautoma Spring’s namesake vines and near historic Cold Creek Vineyard. Merkle and his fellow investors in JMST opted to graft Chardonnay over to Albariño, and 2021 was the first vintage of that project. Those who enjoy Sauvignon Blanc should enjoy this, which opens with fascinating aromas of gooseberry, lime and honeysuckle that make their way onto the citrusy palate. The succulent bone-dry close requires another sip. (137 cases, 12.5% alc.) Outstanding! Gold medal — 92 points
Thurston Wolfe Winery 2021 Crawford Vineyard Albariño, Yakima Valley • $22
Wade Wolfe has earned three Platinum Awards in recent years for his Albariño program, and he’s got another qualifier for this fall after the lofty showing for his latest effort from the Crawford family’s vineyard. Its bright and fruity structure includes aromas of sliced Key lime, lemon juice and some grassiness. Those notes are matched on a palate where there’s great mouthfeel, a sense of jasmine and sweet Meyer lemon. For those who enjoy Riesling and are new to Albariño, there’s plenty to enjoy here. And when Wolfe has a bowl of steamed mussels in front of him, this is his drink of choice. (205 cases, 13% alc.) Outstanding! Gold medal — 92 points
Awen Winecraft 2018 Albariño, Applegate Valley • $35
Two years ago, the tandem of Tom Homewood and Sean Hopkins used a 2018 Grenache Blanc to win Best White Wine at the McMinnville Wine Classic. Their expression of another Iberian Peninsula variety — Albariño — from the same vintage earned high praise in our summer tasting. They reached into Schmidt Family Vineyard near Grants Pass, Ore., for a brilliant example of how this Spanish grape can age gracefully with thoughtful winemaking. It’s still remarkably fresh and continues to exhibit charming characteristics of cotton candy and green apple with an underpinning of chalkiness and minerality. Its brisk, mouthwatering finish will encourage you to sit down with a plate of oysters on the half shell. (120 cases, 14% alc.)
Outstanding! Gold medal — 92 points
Clearwater Canyon Cellars 2021 Crawford Vineyard Albariño, Washington • $22
The Umikers venture beyond the Lewis-Clark Valley and onto Washington’s side of the Columbia Valley for some of their most important wines. They have joined other winemakers in making Crawford Vineyard in the Yakima Valley their prized source for Albariño. Coco Umiker has earned a Double Platinum for her work with the Spanish white, and this bottling seems to mirror those qualities with its fruitiness of lime and Granny Smith apple. There’s complexity as its midpalate of honeycomb readily gives way to the variety’s vibrant acidity and lingering hints of salinity and min-
Fall 2022 • Great Northwest Wine | 41
erality. “I was seduced by its freshness, and the sweet/sour Jolly Rancher green apple candy in the finish makes me want to come back for more,” remarked one judge. (227 cases, 14.6% alc.)
Outstanding! Gold medal — 91 points
Palencia Wine Co. 2021 Albariño, Columbia Valley • $22
It was no surprise that one of the top expressions of Northwest Albariño, and one of its largest productions, also ranked among the best in this tasting. A key component is the role that Evergreen Vineyard in the Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley has historically played in Victor Palencia’s work as an ambassador of this Spanish grape. (His smaller bottling of Albariño is under the El Viñador reserve tier, which pays tribute to his father.) Here’s a very fruit-forward example, leading with white peach and tree-ripened Red Delicious as the finish of Key lime soda arrives in a timely fashion to handle the residual sugar — which ticks just below 1%. This ranks among the most approachable for those new to Albariño and is likely the most available of this tasting. “It’s distinctive, and the hint of RS works pretty well,” one judge said. (1,000 cases, 12.6% alc.)
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2019 Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year
Monarcha Winery, 421 E. Columbia Dr., Kennewick WA 99336
2021 Palencia Albariño
Delightfully refreshing with a flavor profile of ripe cantaloupe, apricot, and honeydew melon following with citrus & lemon zest.
Enjoy the lingering mineral notes chilled with your favorite seafood & salads.
Best White Wine, Best of Class, Double Gold 2022 Cascadia International Wine Competition
96 Points Double Gold 2022 Washington State Wine Awards
