When I received a package filled with SIP Certified wine, I was thrilled to see an Albariño in the mix. As one of my favorite Spanish varietals, I’ve only recently come to taste a few with a California home base. After a recent successful tasting of the Eighty Four Wines 2017 Albariño from Sonoma, I was eager to taste what Edna Valley had to say about the grape variety. Maybe too eager. The Tangent Paragon Vineyard Albariño went straight from box, to chiller, to glass that same day.
About the Wine: The Tangent Wines 2015 Paragon Vineyard Albariño is made from 100% Albariño grapes harvested from the Paragon Vineyard in the Edna Valley AVA of California’s San Luis Obispo County. The wine was aged 100% in stainless steel.
Flavor Profile: Open the bottle of the Tangent Wines 2015 Paragon Vineyard Albariño and breathe in warm citrus curd, dewy grass, and a hint of nut skin. This white wine is nearly clear on the pour, emitting just a hint of window-pane-sunshine yellow. In the glass it’s just a shade richer, a pale straw color, with visual pointillism of effervescence twirling about.
This Albariño is immediately aromatic with hints of nasturtium nectar, citrus blossoms, lemongrass, and meyer lemon zest. Swirl and enliven the acidity and awaken notes of lychee, jackfruit, and gardenias. Float just above the gas to find a bit of honey-nut.
The palate is immediately soft and silky — that is until about midway through when the acidity kicks in and glides toward an almost textural finish — like a water slide that ends on a sandy beach. Dominant flavors are of lemon, lemon pith, lemongrass, white pepper, nasturtium nectar, Asian pear, and the mnerality of wet river rock and the moss that comes with it.
Food Pairing: I paired the Tangent Wines 2015 Paragon Vineyard Albariño with grilled octopus, roasted potato, and an arugula salad dressed with a lemon-honey vinaigrette.
The freshness that comes through due to the acidity in the wine was the perfect partner to the octopus — both its exterior char and its innate “chewy” nature of the meat. I also enjoyed the fact that the salad brought out a bit of that latent texture riding in the back of the palate, giving the wine a bit more substance. Overall this was a delightful pairing and I would absolutely try this again.
More Info: I received the Tangent Wines 2015 Paragon Vineyard Albariño as a sample for review. (Cheers Faith!) Retail: $17. For more information about Tangent Wines, their wines, SIP Certification, and to purchase their wines directly, please visit the Tangent Wines website.
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