2022 Albarino Reserve

Located between Brazil and Argentina, Uruguay stands as one of the most prominent countries in the Latin American winegrowing world.  Its location – on the same latitude as Chile, South Africa and New Zealand – and its temperate climate make it an ideal environment for the production of world-class wines. 

Family-owned Bodega Garzon is one of Uruguay’s leading new wave producers, located just 11 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, with a patchwork of vineyards covering a wide range of terroirs.  Well-draining granitic soils and the cooling Atlantic breezes allow the grapes to ripen steadily.  The estate is widely regarded as one of the names to watch emerging on the world of wine’s stage, with their Albarino receiving praise from many of the world’s most esteemed wine critics. 

The estate takes a low-intervention approach in the vineyards, which is sympathetic to the surrounding natural environment.  The harvests are all carried out by hand which guarantees all the fruit that makes it to the press is of the utmost quality.  Once in the winery, human intervention is yet again minimised by a lot of the processes being powered by gravity rather than by machine.  These softer techniques not only allow the resulting wines to be a true expression of the surrounding land, but also minimise any negative effect upon the local environment. 

After a cool fermentation, the Albarino spends 3-6 months on lees in stainless steel, which adds texture and complexity to the wine while retaining its fresh coastal character. 

This superb wine is pale yellow in colour with flecks of green.  On the nose, there are intense aromas of peach and citrus zest.  The freshness and notable minerality on the mid-palate is elegant, supported by a racy streak of acidity which frames the juicy fruit on a crisp and refreshing finish. 

Perhaps unsurprisingly at this point, this would pair excellently with all manner of fresh seafood dishes such as Ceviche, but it would also be a happy match to lightly spiced Asian food.