Mar de Frades, Albariño, Rías Baixas, Spain, 2015

Winemaker Paula Fandiño is a native Galician who has always worked in the region, and with white wines. She joined Mar de Frades (owned by Rioja’s Ramón Bilbao) in 2007 and works with 150 growers in the Val do Salnés area. With its distinctive blue bottle, the popular packaging has become better known than the liquid inside. However since 2009 Fandiño has been researching batonnage, barrel ageing and single vineyards, all of this informing the mainstream wine. PBT: "Fine aromas of citrus and grass, very delicate. Fresh and so typical, this is textbook Albariño." SJE: "Elegant, pure and salty. Aromatic and fine, with generous, juicy white fruit, lovely balance and approachability." PM: "Appealingly floral, honeyed nose, white peaches. Full, very fresh, fine, salty, stony appeal. Textured finish with grapefruit lift."