At 91 vintages and counting, “Albariño de Fefiñanes” is the flagship wine for Palacio de Fefiñanes and every single year, it manages to put critics in a pleasant stupor. With soaring aromatics and an ultra-piquant mouthfeel, Albariño simply doesn’t get better in this price range
Citrus and peach merge into a constant stream of endlessly textured maritime minerality, thanks to the time-honored skill of Palacio de Fefiñanes and mature vines—with some far surpassing the century mark! Though they do craft a barrel-aged Albariño that is built for the long term, this 2017 Albariño de Fefiñanes is what they cherish most, and for good reason. With a brief stainless steel regimen on lees, its freshness and sundry ripe fruits combine for an enticing blend of racy and round, while finishing with lip-smacking mineral edge. This is the ultimate in value Albariño, a grape that, when at its best, is among the most satisfying, thirst-quenching white wines on the market. Don’t believe me? Give Fefiñanes a go.
On top of Bodegas del Palacio de Fefiñanes making a region-defining wine, they can also proudly say they were the very first estate to bottle their wines under the “Rías Baixas” designation. That, however, barely grazes the surface of their deep historical roots: Their palatial name comes from its origins in 1647 when Gonzalo Sarmiento Valladares constructed a building that was part of a lavish palace in the coastal town of Cambados. They were even crafting wine during this time, but the wine business wasn’t formally adopted until the nascent stages of the 20th century.
It is here in Galicia, the northwestern reaches of Spain, that the Albariño grape calls home. Specifically, Rías Baixas, which now has five distinct subregions that hug the Atlantic Coast. With all their history and pedigree, Palacio de Fefiñanes has quite a bit of influence and a slew of prominent contacts around the region, which is a key reason they can craft such a consistent bottle of Albariño. Grapes for this 2017 were sourced from an astounding 66 local growers in and around the subregion of Val do Salnés, where you’ll find other trusted brands like Do Ferreiro and Pazo de Barrantes. The majority of these sourced vines have an average age of 40 years (though 100+ is not uncommon) and are located near the ocean. This combination means more salinity, depth, and raciness. After a gentle pressing in their winery, the juice ferments and briefly ages in stainless steel tanks before bottling. It’s a quick in-and-out process that’s meant to preserve Albariño’s purity and aromatics.
The 2017 Albariño from Palacio de Fefiñanes shines a brilliant straw core with radiant green and silver reflections. It emits a wondrous flurry of white peach, apricot, and lime before wowing with layers of seaspray, crushed rocks, oyster shell, citrus blossoms, and fresh white flowers. In terms of refreshment and piquancy, it’s hard to out-do this wine. The palate dazzles with its ability to both be simultaneously rich and taut—showcasing prolific chords of perfectly ripe orchard and citrus fruit while finishing with layers of maritime minerality and mouthwatering acidity. In a word, classic. Owner Juan Gil notes that he enjoys his wines best after 18 months (which means this is in a perfect drinking spot!), so pull the cork and enjoy in all-purpose stems around 45-50 degrees. Since it’s grown and made on the Atlantic coast, let’s keep it topical—fry up a couple pounds of calamari with a fresh lemon squeeze, invite over a horde of friends, and get lost in a few bottles of Fefiñanes. It’s one great way to spend an afternoon. Cheers!
