Fâmega Vinho Verde Denominação de Origem Controlada Vinho Branco 2006
Lean and green and pétillant – a great value example; petillance is gone with the second bottle in September but still the phenolic mineral grab and blazing acid are apparent. The latest bottling code is # 0707098; Not an Alvarinho-only Vinho Verde as their are four grapes: Loureiro, Trajadura, Pedernã and Alvarinho. Bottled and shipped by Caves da Cerca, a negociant located in Amarante Pt. within the VV production zone, along the Tamega River just northeast of Penafiel 9.5% $5.99 at Bottle Barn, up to a whopping $6.49 in April of 2008 and $6.99 at Traverso’s in June of 2008.
Burgáns (Bodegas Martin Códax) Rias Baixas, Denominacion de Orixe, Burgáns Albariño 2006
This wine is ripe with tropical notes and a broad palate for a no-oak wine. This wine is back on track – clean and fresh. However it still is bottled with a hard synthetic cork so I wouldn’t want to buy this too far out from release. Both the 04 and 05 were dynamite to start and lost freshness as the year wore on. Martin Codax is located in the fertile Salnés Valley on the Mont Burgans, P&B for Eric Solomon’s European Cellars in Cambados, Pontevedra, winemaker Luciano Almoedo, soils are fertile overtop granite and schist, no oak, only ss and light lees stirring, Rias-Baixas is an Albarino only DO in Galicia 12.5% $8.99 at Bottle Barn martincodax.com