The Atlantis Albariño 2016 is 100% Albariño sourced from vineyards in the Condado de Tea district of the Rias Baixas DO in northwest Spain. Rias Baixas is just north of Portugal and along the Atlantic Coast, the Condado de Tea sub-region is the southernmost district in Rias Baixas and the furthest from the coast. The climate is heavily influenced by the Ocean it can be stormy and windy at times, but also does not get too hot or too cold. Albariño is THE grape of Rias Baixas, it has been cultivated here for around 900 years. The Atlantis Albariño is a young wine, fermented in stainless steel vats with a short aging period. Atlantis is one of Vintae’s family of classic, yet modern wines from all parts of Spain. The alcohol content is 12.5%.
The color is a pale, clear sunshine yellow. The nose is lovely, subtle, but complex, tropical fruit, peach, exotic spice, apple, lime, and spring flowers. The Atlantis is a dry White wine, with very balanced acidity and a delicate mix of flavors. It starts with grapefruit (not too tart), green apple, a blast of lime, and lemon. The mid-palate shows juicy peach, Anjou Pear, and apricot. The acidity is well covered by the body of the wine. The finish mirrors the mid-palate and slowly fades away.
The Atlantis Albariño 2016 is a terrific summer wine, actually, it will bring a bit of summer to you all year round, but it fits perfectly as a summer sipper. Most European White wines and Albariño particularly tend to have a very healthy dose of acidity. Acidity allows White wine to age and is essential when pairing with the meal. The problem is that most Americans don’t have a tradition of wine accompanying food and for me, I drink a lot of wine not at the dinner table but at a keyboard. When these acidic wines are consumed with lunch or dinner, the food balances the acidity and you never know that they were a touch on the acidic side. The Atlantis Albariño does the neat trick of having a proper dose of acidity to pair with food, but not too much to give you heartburn if you enjoy the bottle straight up. I am a fan of Albariño, it is in my top 3 or 4 of White wine, it reminds me of Sauvignon Blanc, Washington State Riesling, and unoaked California Chardonnay without really being like any of those. If you are not familiar with Albariño, now is as good a time as any to hop on the bandwagon.
