Winemaker Notes White floral, distinct honeydew melon with notes of keylime pie and nectarines. I’m really surprised its taken this long for the public to catch on to this great alternative to both chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. It has everything you’d want in a white wine. Aromatic, mouth filling, and just enough acidity to cut through the fats you’d associate with the seafood its traditionally paired with. The grape itself hails from the northwest corner of Spain in a region called Galicia. Within this region is an appellation called Riax Baixas where most of the white wine made is from the Albarino grape. It’s believed that the grape made its way to Spain from Germany 800 or so years ago and is a relative of Riesling, which would explain the aromatics of the wine. About 30 years ago, a young Paso Robles-based winemaker smuggled some cuttings into the US and grafted over the first Albarino in our country. This wine comes from the offspring of those initial cuttings. The crop yielded an insanely intense wine, perhaps the best we’ve made so far. The nose is loaded with white floral smells and has a distinct honeydew melon character with notes of keylime pie. The flavors are all about stone fruits like peaches and nectarines. Extended sure-lies aging built up a rich, almost sweet mouthfeel. Its really lush and juicy. This wine screams for seafood like halibut and sole, lobster, crab, and prawns. Or my favorite: steamed clams in a white wine and butter sauce. -Adam Remember the Leopard!