Albariño to the throne!
Happy Tuesday Club Members!
Another week, another rainy day but we have some truly delightful wines to share with you.
Ready to try something new instead of your usual choice? Keep reading for this week’s favourite, alongside some great deals. And that 4am wine? Well, what can I say, sometimes you just have to go with it!
Today’s mood calls for some….
Albariño!
A long time ago (and for many years), my go-to wine was always a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. It was huge back then: available everywhere, affordable and you knew what you were going to get, day in, day out. Welcoming tropical notes on the nose, floral, herbaceous aromas and that juicy, zesty finish…
But for the exact same reason that I liked it in the first place, I decided to venture out and try something else instead. What did I find, you wonder? So many exciting, fun and vibrant wines that will take the throne away from New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs in a second! And the one I think everyone should try is no other than the Faustino Rivero Ulecia Albariño from Rias Baixas/Spain.
Those beautiful white peach and floral notes are so inviting that you almost feel a bit fuzzy when you take on the first sip. With a hint of lime, crisp finish and a herbal background, it’s a light and elegant wine that can’t be missed. It is seriously unpretentious and is superb when served chilled, on its own. And yes, it also comes in a very distinctive-looking blue bottle which could put you in the centre of any dinner party!
For £14/bottle this might be one of those wines for a treat night however, now you can get a 25% discount if you buy 6 bottles or more. Stock your fridge with a couple of bottles and when guests arrive, uncork them for immediate fun!
(Available now at your local Asda)
Name: Faustino Rivero Ulecia Albariño
Origin: Rias Baixas/Spain
ABV: 12.5%
Notes: Floral and citrus notes, herbal background, light, great minerality and balanced acidity, dry
Recommend with: any seafood, on its own or with Roast Turkey (a must try!)
Where: Asda nationwide, £14/bottle but Buy 6 or more and save 25%
Not a treat night?
Why don’t you try ASDA Extra Special Albariño Rias Baixas for only £8.75
The 4am wine
Have you ever had a wine that you just couldn’t stop thinking about? The one that you expected to be very good but for some reason, it got to you?
I have one of those and I can’t stop introducing it to my friends, even though it has been years since I had the first sip.
Black Slate Gratallops from Celler Cecilio is the ONE!
I remember that first sniff I had when I poured some into my glass. Gorgeous raspberries, ripe red fruits and something else so inviting that I had to taste it, straight away. And what did I get? I could bore you with all the relevant tasting notes, body, acidity and so on but what you need to know about this wine really is one word: elegance.
It is just that, pure elegance ( with 15% abv..) poured into this beautiful bottle. So smooth, almost like a liquor and powerful at the same time, you just can’t put it down. That wonderfully long finish that you don’t want to end so you must pour another glass. Warm, velvety, decadent and full of passion.
Guilty as charged, I have always talked about this wine to my friends. But when do you open something like this? I never wanted to waste it by pairing it with food, although it would be great, I think you need to enjoy it on its own to appreciate its full potential. It is way too strong to have it early in the evening, especially midweek. So what choice do you have? You end up opening a bottle on one of those nights when you already had a couple of glasses and it might be time for bed but you still need to pour one last glass…and that glass of Black Slate will be remembered by all, even if it was at 4am.
Next time…
New discoveries, red wine weather and that guilt free midweek drink
Have a grape day!
The 4pm Club