Viadero, Goyo Garcia 2022 Georgieva Albillo - Malvasia

This fascinating wine is made from 100+ year-old vines of (80%) Albillo Mayor and (20%) Malvasia. The grapes are harvested by hand, destemmed, and pressed into stainless steel tanks, where the juice is left to macerate on the skins for around 25 days. As with Viadero's other wines, it is bottled without fining, filtration, or any additions (including sulfur).  The nose is floral and peachy, with an undercurrent of orange and salt, while the wine shows brightness and tension that belies the long period of skin-contact. On the palate there are notes of citrus, peach skin, ginger root, and limestone, rounded out by delicate tannins. The finish is remarkably persistent, with long-lasting notes of ginger, cardamom, and citrus peel. Truly a special skin-contact white wine, perhaps uniquely gastronomic among the wines in that category!  -BF