Pale gold color; pink grapefruit, lemon-lime, honeydew melon, white peach, pineapple, pear, honeysuckle, saline-minerality on the nose and palate.
Dry; no tannins, excellent acidity. Creamy mouthfeel. Clean, fresh, elegant and delicious with extended finish. Grape production is restricted to emphasize quality—around half of the tons per acre allowed in the D.O. Grapes hand-harvested into small baskets. 75% of the wine ferments in stainless steel, 25% fermented in French oak barrels; indigenous yeast. Wine rests eight months on the lees (sur lie) with some battonage to add complexity and texture. 13% ABV
Vineyards are located on steep hillside close to the Atlantic in Galicia, northwest Spain. Because the region gets so much rain—more than 40 inches a year—Albariño vineyards grow on pergolas, so they are harvest overhead. The nearby ocean gives albariño (alvarinho in adjacent Portugal) its distinctive saline-minerality element.
The La Caña is part of the Jorge Ordóñez collection. Ordóñez was a leader in bringing albariño to the United States and is a major player in Spanish wine. The estate bottled wines represent some of the best of Rías Baixas winemaking. It is serious and seriously good white wine that, with it citrus flavors, ripe fruit-honey murmurs, and pleasing mouthfeel, will appeal to wide range of wine drinkers, especially when paired with seafood.
Jorge Ordóñez was the first and is the most important pioneer for albariño grapes in the U.S. and in D.O. Rías Baixas. The “caña” name comes from the straw-like cañas (reeds or canes) that line the nearby Atlantic shore. The winery endeavors to produce a traditional, authentic, serious albariño, and this certainly succeeds. Ordóñez first brought albariño to the U.S. in 1991. When Ordóñez started, the D.O. did not exist and “experts” warned him he would never sell more than 100 cases in New York City, his first import location. Luckily for U.S. wine drinkers, he was proved right and the experts proved wrong.
Bodegas La Caña Estate Bottled Albariño, D.O. Rías Baixas 2021 is exquisite example of well-made albariño, delightful to pair with seafood. Refreshing, impressive complexity and length. Zesty acidity and touch of salinity make this a terrific food wine. If you have not tried albariño wine, you are missing out. Increasingly available in the U.S. Pair with seafood, grilled fish, oysters, seared scallops, steamed mussels or clams, grilled shrimp or prawns, ceviche, seafood risotto, spaghetti alle vongole, sushi, sashimi, Galician-style octopus. Also works with salads and vegetarian fare; charcuterie board, especially with fresh fruits, marmalade, sardines. Cheese—goat cheeses; burrata, manchego, young gouda, feta, pecorino romano, cheddar aged 18-plus months. $21-24
Bodegas La Caña website (excellent video with Jorge Ordóñez)
