2021 Bodegas La Cana Albarino Estate Bottled Rias Baixas 750 ml

Just north of Portugal, Rías Baixas is part of a region known as “Green Spain” for its lush forests and rivers: a cool, wet Eden for Albariño. In the subregion of Val do Salnés—the grape’s birthplace—La Caña’s 20- to 40-year-old vines lie right along the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic, which moderates temperatures throughout the year. That makes for long growing seasons, allowing grapes to develop complex layers of flavor without sacrificing a drop of their beautiful natural acidity.

Wine Enthusiast called Rías Baixas Albariños, “some of the world’s most elegant white wines,” and La Caña is one of the region’s prevailing specialists. They focus solely on Albariño, and in 2021, they crafted a bottle of spectacular energy and finesse.

Rías Baixas Albariño might not be the worldwide phenomenon it is today without La Caña founder Jorge Ordóñez, and it almost certainly wouldn’t be popping up on the wine lists of US MICHELIN-starred restaurants. An ardent Albariño crusader, Ordóñez was the first importer to bring it to the States, and in founding La Caña, he made it his goal to display the variety’s stunning complexity, terroir transparency, and ageworthiness.

He’s succeeded in extraordinary fashion. Wine Advocate praised La Caña’s Albariños as “perfect examples” of the variety’s quality and ageability, and The New York Times said they’re “highly deserving of your attention.”

La Caña’s vines are rooted in nutrient-poor soils composed of sand and decomposed granite. Hand-harvested from a selection of vineyards, the Albariño is aged for eight months on the lees, adding a silky polish. Partly aged in stainless steel and partly in oak, the finished wine boasts a fine balance of depth and fruit purity.