{"title":"Spanish whites","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"la-suerte-de-arrayan-albillo-real-2023","title":"La Suerte de Arrayán Albillo Real 2023","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis Albillo Real is from the Méntrida region outside of Madrid, and made by the incredibly talented Maite Sánchez.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMaite’s previous experience, making wine at the likes of Vega Sicilia, Clos Mogador and Comte Armand taught her the importance of respecting local grape varieties and making wines in a traditional, artisanal way.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat’s exactly what she does here - Albillo Real is a very rare grape that grows really well in the harsh and remote mountains around Madrid.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 70 year-old vineyard is near Toledo and is based on granite-sandy soils.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFermentation starts gently and spontaneously to preserve all that vineyard character and build complexity, and the wine is aged for 9 months in old French oak barrels.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou get a bright and mineral nose with hints of pear and honey, and the palate is beautifully textured and balanced, with a very long finish.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut don’t just take my word for it - Decanter magazine gave this 95 points in a recent review of indigenous Spanish whites, and ranked it in second place out of 87 wines tasted!\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50730596729163,"sku":"ARRSAR23","price":19.91,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/WS-HighKey-0221.jpg?v=1732719197"},{"product_id":"el-bufon-de-arrayan-albillo-real-2023","title":"El Bufón de Arrayán Albillo Real 2023","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis is a rare wine in Spain, let alone Ireland and the UK.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s from the hugely exciting and up-and-coming Cebreros wine region, made using a forgotten grape called Albillo Real.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s the first grape to mature in the vineyards around here, and in the past, people would have eaten it while picking the other grapes. The small berries, freckled skin and sweet taste make it especially delicious, and also for birds!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese characteristics however make Albillo Real difficult to turn into great wine, and that’s where a rising star winemaker like Maite Sánchez comes in.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe sources the grapes from three high-altitude vineyards around Cebreros, with an average vine age of 70 years, and on sandy-granite soils.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe grapes are gently crushed by foot for two days, before being transferred into clay amphora, where the wine is aged for 6-7 months. This winemaking preserves all the gorgeous fruit, like pears, orange blossom, and grapefruit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s a golden, citrusy and full-bodied white with hints of honey and tropical flavours, and a distinct minerality from the granite soils in the vineyard.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s even better with food, and it really reminds me of a good Chenin Blanc from South Africa.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou won’t find Albillo Real anywhere else in Ireland, and we only have a tiny amount of left. So give it a try while it’s still available!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50730602266955,"sku":"ARRALB23","price":21.89,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/WS-HighKey-0228.jpg?v=1732722136"},{"product_id":"lagar-de-sabariz-a-pita-cega-2017","title":"Lagar de Sabariz A Pita Cega 2017","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThis is an incredibly special white wine, one of Spain’s very best. It might be unlike any other white wine you’ve ever tasted.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s a traditional Ribeiro blend of Albarino, Godello and Treixadura. The exact blend changes every year, depending on what nature throws at Pilar.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEverything is 100% natural here in the growing of the grapes, and the making of the wine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe winemaking is a little bit mad - but it works. Pilar ages the grapes separately in stainless steel tanks for 3 years. She then blends the wine together, and it sits in steel for another 3 years to properly come together. It’s then bottled and aged for another year before release.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou end up with a rich, complex and highly aromatic white wine. The texture is just so soft and effortless, it’s a joy to drink and indeed, savour. There’s peach and apricot fruit, there’s plenty of florals, and great balance and freshness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou wouldn't be far off if it reminded you of a great Viognier like Condrieu, home of Pilar's great-grandparents.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou’d also never think it was eight years old, and in fact it’s got plenty left in the tank too, if you wanted to lay down a few bottles.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA Pita Cega is found in Spain’s best restaurants - which is pretty cool. But what I find much more credible is that the likes of César Márquez, Ana Carazo, Iria Otero - \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003esome of the Spanish winemakers that I respect the most - all lit up when I told them I was going to work with Pilar and bring this wine to Ireland.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat’s all the validation I needed - and the same should go for you!\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50866943099211,"sku":"LSAPC17","price":45.34,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/WS-HighKey-0138.jpg?v=1732111623"},{"product_id":"a-coroa-godello-2024","title":"A Coroa Godello 2024","description":"\u003cp\u003eImagine the perfect Spanish white wine… and I might just have found it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTake the citrusy freshness of an Albariño, and the richness and lip-smacking minerality of a good Chablis, and you’re pretty close.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Godello grape thrives on the slate soils and warm weather of Valdeorras - producing white wines with loads of flavour, balance and freshness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA Coroa is one of the region’s oldest and most respected wineries. The winemaker, Ángel Sánchez, was one of the first winemakers in Valdeorras in the 1980s.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis secret, like all great wines, is in the vineyard.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheirs yield 40% less than the region’s average, so you get a much richer and more intense expression of Godello and the land that it comes from.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe nose here is fresh and zippy, loaded with juicy limes and pears. On the palate it's refreshing, clean and lifted, with lovely florals, apples and a touch of peaches and cream. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI’m constantly on the hunt for more better value wines for you. And thanks to my experience and contacts in places like Spain, I’ve landed another gem.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52546352382283,"sku":"ACGDLO24","price":18.47,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/ACoroaGodello2022.jpg?v=1716302504"},{"product_id":"la-mateo-rioja-tempranillo-blanco-2023","title":"La Mateo Rioja Tempranillo Blanco 2023","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\" data-mce-style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\" data-mce-style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eYou’ve no doubt heard of Red Tempranillo, but how about White Tempranillo? I couldn’t believe my tastebuds when I first experienced this wine. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMost white Rioja is made from the Viura grape - and tends to taste quite oaky and flat. Mateo wanted something fresher and punchier, so he planted an experimental vineyard of white Tempranillo 15 years ago - making it the oldest white Tempranillo vineyard in Rioja!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\" data-mce-style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eIt’s incredibly fresh and floral on the nose, with tons of lemon meringue, honey and brioche in the mouth. If you like whites with a bit of oak like good Burgundy, you’ll love this.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53722230948171,"sku":"LMTBL23","price":26.45,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/LaMateoRiojaBlanco2021.jpg?v=1716285320"},{"product_id":"vinyes-dolivardots-blanc-de-gresa-emporda-2023","title":"Vinyes d'Olivardots Blanc de Gresa Empordà 2023","description":"\u003cp\u003eJust like Priorat, the Emporda wine region is best known for its big reds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd also just like Priorat, there are some absolute gems of white wines to be found, if you know where to look.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis wine is one of them. It’s made from White Grenache, Grey Grenache and White Carignan vineyards planted in 1900 - yes you read that right. The vines here are 125 years old!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe nose is beautifully inviting and complex - I get liquorice, flint and wild herbs. The palate is layered, pure and textured, with incredible length and purity from those old vines.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you like your interesting whites, then give this a go - you won’t be disappointed!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56034265563467,"sku":"OLIBL23","price":24.93,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/WS-HighKey_0264_f83742e7-c9ce-43b8-9018-f8f339c3cae4.jpg?v=1764774588"}],"url":"https:\/\/winespark.com\/collections\/spanish-whites.oembed","provider":"WineSpark","version":"1.0","type":"link"}