2019 Bodega Garzón Single Vineyard Albariño

Bodega Garzón is a family-owned winery in Maldonado on the Atlantic coast in southern Uruguay. They pioneered viticulture in this area over 10 years ago, and have since become the standard bearer for premium wines from Uruguay. In November 2018, their pioneering status was recognised by Wine Enthusiast with the ‘New World Winery of the Year’ award. The vineyards at Bodega Garzón are a patchwork quilt of 1,150 individual plots of around 0.2 hectares in size, each plot carefully chosen for a specific variety according to its soil and microclimate. The winery is specially designed to operate as sustainably as possible, and is the first winery outside North America to pursue LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). Built on natural terraces, the winery uses cutting-edge technology and operates using a gravity system to ensure quality and energy efficiency at every stage of production.

Known as Alvarinho in Portuguese, Albarino is a white-wine grape common across north-western Spain and northern Portugal, where the cool, wet maritime climate is perfect for growing these hardy vines.  The grapes typically produce dry, acidic, wine wines with intense floral and citrus notes – think lime, grapefruit and nectarine.  Albariño is currently a rising star in Uruguay. Considering the country’s maritime climate, which is similar to that of Galicia and northern Portugal, it’s no surprise that it thrives there.

Straw gold in colour, this Albariño shows great complexity with layers of tropical fruit and floral undertones. It has a beautiful textural quality and richness on the palate which is complemented with vibrant acidity and a refreshing sea salt finish.