Vin Blanc/Vino Bianco/Vino Blanco
However you want to say it in Europe, here’s three more whites very deserving of your attention, and your wine glasses!
2021 DOMAINE TABORDET Pouilly-Fumé
SOLD OUT!!
2021 GIRLAN Pinot Bianco “Sudtirol-Alto Adige”
$16.95 bottle/ $163.00 case
You know I’m all about the crisp, minerally whites from the wineries that sit in the foothills of the stunningly beautiful Dolomite mountains in far northern Italy. These steeply sloping, rock strewn vineyards produce refreshing, energetic,and stony-saline whites (the soils high up in these hills used to sit on the ocean floor, after all). Girlan’s wines are always spot on and sell for extremly fair prices, and I think their Pinot Bianco (“pinot blanc”) is the deal. A great food white, with a broad yet linear texture, with citrus, melon, and mineral notes, this is focused and fabulously fresh.
>> 91 pts- Wine Advocate: “With sun drenched vineyards on the low ridge of hills that looks over the city of Bolzano, Girlan is an important Alto Adige cooperative winery. The 2021 Pinot Bianco achieves a fresh, punchy and easy-drinking style.”
>> 89 pts- Vinous: “This intrigues with a savory bouquet of crushed rocks, sage, and mint giving way to apple and lime zest. Silky and pliant with an energizing core of bright acidity and tart orchard fruits that add tension toward the close as it tapers off with a salty mineral twang.”
2021 AVANCIA Godello “Cuvée O”
$21.95 bottle/ $209.00 case
From steeply pitched vineyards that range in age from 50-80 years old in Spain’s Valdeorras region in far northeast. This’19 vintage, still drinking gloriously bright and fresh, is brimming with complex melon, citrus, and mineral sensations. The acids are sharply focused on the finish, and the whole package just works so well. Here’a all the adjectives you’ll need…
>> 90 pts- Wine Spectator: “A vibrant acidity cuts through the quince, tangerine and ginger flavors in this round and polished white, underscored by chive, spice and heather elements, followed by a long, mineral-laced finish.”
>> 91 pts- Vinous: “Assertive aromas of fresh citrus and orchard fruits, along with hints of melon in the background. Rich but impressively lively in the mouth, offering intense flavors underscored by a smoky mineral quality. Clings with strong tenacity on the penetrating finish.”
