2024 Familia Deicas Albarino

Variety: 100% Albarino
Region: Maldonado, Uruguay
Cost: $20 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes: Pale yellow color, with a very intense, explosive aroma that begins with fruits like melon and peach, followed by citrus notes then herbal hints, and finally a touch of hydrocarbon (typical of Riesling). On the palate, it offers an aromatic explosion that fills the taste buds, with a friendly acidity that refreshes without being aggressive, and a juicy finish.

My Review: Talk about a banger of a wine. Going to get this out of the way really quickly–I really liked this wine, especially with the food my wife and I paired it with (more on that shortly). It tasted of the ocean, with bright, refreshing flavors and hints of mineral and salinity that had me coming back for more.

In the glass the wine was a pale yellow, with slashes of gold and green that showed when held to the light. On the nose I got lime and green apple at first, but as the wine warmed and opened up I also the lime came to the front and was joined by wet stone and a touch of herbs.

In the mouth, the wine was juicy, with notes of melon, lime, and a touch of herbs and some mineral and a touch of salinity on the finish. Again, as the wine opened up the flavor changed, and it reminded me more of a Riesling, with the mineral notes becoming more prominent and the citrus flavors softening.

We paired this wine with a pretzel-crusted chicken with a cheese and mustard sauce and an arugula salad. The citrus of the wine was a great counter to the pan-fried chicken, and I was a bit disappointed when the food was gone. That being said, the wine was more than enjoyable by itself.

For $20 this is a steal of a wine, especially as we’re fully into summer now. The bright, refreshing flavors will be welcome on a warm day, and the citrus flavors, mineral, and salinity will go great with lots of summer cooking options or just by the pool.

Disclosure: I received this wine as a free sample for review.