It’s always a privilege to try a new Strangebird wine on The Granite Belt. This variety is known as Alvarinho in Portugal and Albariño in Spain, yes they’re the same grape. So interesting that View Wine have chosen to call their’s Alvarinho while Summit Estate have christened theirs Albariño.
This is a new variety for me and a little research suggests common characteristics for the wine whether created in Portugal or Spain, so what about The Granite Belt?
The wine has deeper colour than what I’d expect for a young white but that could be from deeper coloured skins in the drought year vintage so light straw is actually a deeper coloured straw with some almost golden hues. The bouquet is fiercely aromatic with quite vigorous wafts of tropical fruits wrapped in citrus with some grapefruit and apple the totality of which almost tingles your nose. The wine is dry with a long line of clean refreshing acidity and racing through that backbone come limes and lemons, some pear, only very slight hints of pineapple, a little sour rind quality, guava and peach and there is a distinct late finish of red apple – flesh and skin. The wine is somewhat textural as it coats your mouth with a little viscous experience and of course, this is The Granite Belt, and the wine delivers those lovely granitic mineral flavours.
So come on summer and oysters, seafood dishes and Thai salads accompanied by Alvarinho/Albariño.
This wine is a little riper at 12.7% a/v, the Summit Estate Albariño is 12%. Will be an interesting comparison as, all going to plan, the Summit Estate will be opened tomorrow. This one is sealed under procork and wax, the Summit Estate is under screwcap.
Tasted: Friday 30th October, 2020 without food and then with over several hours.
Alcohol: 12.7%
Closure: Screwcap
Price: $35
Suggested Drinking Window: 2020 to 2025
Winemaker: Glen Robert and Andrew Scott
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