2016 Frore de Carme “Amodino” Albarino

How does Albarino taste this good?

Albarino: the white grape of Rias Baixas, the section of Green Spain just north of Portugal. I’ve known for years that Albarino could be great, even world class. I just didn’t know it could be palate-stoppingly good – that feeling of the first smell, the first taste, stopping you in your tracks just to say, “My, my, what is this?”

Then I came across the wines of Eladio Pineiro Amodino.

After many years of making Albarino, Eladio founded his own winery in 1983. Twenty years later, he decided to sell his winery (keeping his vineyards) in order to focus on family health issues.

As he puts it: “Motivated by this event and its happy outcome, I returned to confirm what truly moves me and fulfills my life sepecially after being about to lose it all. Fortune granted me the possibility of retaking my work, with that plus of wisdom that comes with time. Time to decide to my utmost satisfaction in which way I could make my contribution to the world of wine, giving no relevance to the rules of today´s saturated wine market.”

Bold and near-crazy talk. But these are crazy wines, and you’ve got to try them! Given Eladio’s passion, he makes some crazy Albarinos, and this is one of them: Frore de Carme Amodino Finis Terrae Albarino.

Frore de Carme is the name of Eladio’s re-established winery. Amodiño means fondly to indulge and finis terrae means the end of the earth. Together they mean “Fondly indulge to the end of the earth.” This wine is produced in exceptional terroirs in Rías Baixas. He also uses a complex system of extended lees aging through multiple vintages (sorta like Champagne) that leads to the vintage here. Here’s how Eladio describes the wine on his website:

“As the wine breathes in the glass , with attractive and freshness always present, the own shades of albariño start showing : extent, sweetness, eucalyptuses, fine mint, depth, simultaneous presence of both mature and fresh grape, strength and sharpness, recalls of Atlantic breeze. All these characteristics make us consider that we are before nature, fully differentiate all along its evolution: character, shade complexity, life and elegance: Albariño.

“After tasting, the memories that remain are persistent and full of pleasant sensations that invite us to enjoy it again.”

I think it captures what the spirit of this wine is all about. And spirit – the life force – is what this wine is all about. This is sensational wine, and times being what they are, we got an amazing deal on it! Get as much as you can.