Tesco Finest Albariño

Expert Opinion

In the press...

Of the 2011 vintage, Victoria Moore said: “Juicy peaches and apricots. Refreshing as rainwater. Crying out for a plate of crayfish tails. Or prawns with marie rose sauce. Made by Martin Codax and arguably better than their cheaper branded wine.”

From the Bodegas Martín Códax co-operative, this pure Albariño from close to the Atlantic coastline displays the typically attractive, bracingly fresh nose of the variety with refreshing apple and peachy fruit, a light spiciness and zesty fresh citrusy acidity to make it a pleasure to drink with seafood. A case of 'do be shellfish'.

Background

History

In Meis (Galicia) stands an eighteenth century mansion: Pazo Torrequintáns. Its first owner was the Marchioness Julia, but after having been abandoned for several decades it was sold to the rich family Zenollera Velón. Sadly, the couple died leaving no children and Pazo Torrequintáns was inherited by their 18 nephews. They were not able to reach an agreement on how to split up the mansion, so the Pazo was abandoned. After some years, Pazo Torrequintáns was bought by a Galician family who understood the art of winemaking and 25 years ago they decided to plant Albariño grapes in all the lands that surround Pazo Torrequintáns, which is where this wine comes from.

Winemaking details

Katia Alvarez

Regional info

In the appellation of Rías Baixas, most of vineyards are situated in close proximity to the sea. The soils are low-lying and are very deep, reaching at most 300 meters above sea level. Rías Baixas’ climate has an Atlantic influence with cool temperatures and high rainfall which decreases in summer time. The average temperature in winter is about 10ºC and there is only a little difference between the day and night. The Albariño grape is perfect for these conditions as its thicker skin helps it resist problems that can occur in a damp climate, and give it its distinctive tropical flavour and richness.