Iridesse

Uncommon Wine Alert!

Seasoned wine operatives know that *Albariño *grapes are used to make one of Spain’s most exciting and perhaps best dry white wines. What most wine operatives do not know is that there is at least one exceptional California Albariño. And we spied it for you, from Sonoma vintner Iridesse.

One of only four Albariño wines to come from California, this particular one from wine maker Patrick Llerena of Iridesse is a very special find.

This wine has an ultra light yellow-golden color and on opening has aromas of peach, grass and green apples. Early tastes reveal granny smith apple and light citrus. After we allowed this wine to get some air, it exhibited other scents and flavors altogether! Not only that, but the aromas and tastes shifted and changed over the course of our tasting. These ran the gamut from melon, lemongrass and orange to golden apple, peach and almond.

While the ‘recommended food pairing’ is seafood, us Spies like to be more daring; We tried our sample with a deliciously simple spaghetti bologonese… and…. it worked! It was a fantastic paring for the hot summer evening.

Albariño is a wine to be enjoyed right away and aging is not usually recommended, making this great value on a spy-worthy wine a prefect right-now treat.

Wow! Our version of the classic crisp white shellfish wine that originally comes from the Galician coast, just across the Cantabrican Sea from Ireland. This is Lodi fruit & Healdsburg craft just yummy for you!

About The Wine

Made in the tradition of Celtic Northwestern Spain, our 2005 Albariño is one of only a handful produced in California. Gorgeous fruit is brought in to our winery from the esteemed Bokisch Ranches in Lodi. It is gently pressed to stainless steel tank where it ferments and rests until bottling in early Spring. This classic treatment allows the true varietal character of this grape to show perfectly. Aromas of fresh stonefruits lead into bright acids, ripe melon, lemongrass, golden delicious apple, and tangerine peel. Considered by some to be the genetic parent of Germany’s Rieslings, Albariño is less known but we hope it will come to be one of your favorites!

About The Winery

Iridesse is a boutique winery that presents exciting, cutting-edge wines from some of the finest vineyards in Northern California. Patrick & Genevieve Llerena lovingly handcraft these wines to create unique wines from varietals that aren’t your run-of–the-mill Cab, Chard, or Merlot! Join us on a journey into a place where your tastebuds dance around wines most haven’t heard of.

About The Vineyards

Iridesse is a rather unique wine company in that we focus on wines made from grapes that are not traditionally the best selling varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. In fact, we often select the vineyard before deciding on what kind of wine to make. We have connected with some amazing winegrowers. We respect the winegrower’s efforts in cultivating extraordinary vines as the greater part of what turns out when you pour a glass. Patrick views his winemaking often like midwifery – waiting and letting nature run its course while helping make sure the end result is as pure and beautiful as intended.

Detailed Technical Information

Appellation: Lodi

Special Designation: Sueno Vineyard

Varietal: Albarino

Alcohol by volume: 13%

Year: 2005