Vionta Albarino 2016

Vionta Albarino 2016 is a 750mL white wine from the Val do Salnés in D.O. Rías Baixas, Galicia — 100% Albariño from vineyards older than 15 years in Spain's cool, Atlantic north-west. No 2016-specific official alcohol figure is published; documented listings for this bottling span 12.5% to 12.8% ABV (the US importer's page lists 12.8%), so the exact number lives on the bottle's label. Lees work gives the wine body beyond its breezy coastal fruit. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.

• ABV: Documented range 12.5%–12.8% (importer lists 12.8%; no 2016-specific official figure — see flag)
• Size: 750mL
• Vintage: 2016
• Appellation: Val do Salnés, D.O. Rías Baixas, Galicia, Spain
• Varietal: 100% Albariño
• Winemaking: Controlled-temperature fermentation, selected yeasts, no malolactic; 85% of production macerated on its lees (importer)
• Producer: Bodegas Vionta (Freixenet Group), Vilanova de Arousa

From the Coolest Corner of Rías Baixas

Vionta takes its name from Isla Vionta, a small Atlantic island protected as a seabird reserve off the Galician coast. The bodega works in the Val do Salnés, the oldest and largest of Rías Baixas' five sub-zones and the variety's believed birthplace — the northernmost, coolest corner of the D.O., where granite soils and Atlantic rain shape Albariño into something saline, aromatic and fresh. Vionta ferments cold to protect that floral, tropical character and skips malolactic fermentation to hold the natural acidity; most of the production rests on its lees for texture. Browse the bodega on the Vionta vendor page or compare across the white wine shelf.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Tropical and ripe fruit — mango, kiwi, peach, lemon, melon and pineapple (importer's notes). Palate: Soft with agreeable acidity; green apple, apricot and kiwi, with lees-given body and structure. Finish: Long and aromatic, with the slight bitter edge classic for Albariño.

How to Enjoy

Serve well chilled. Albariño is Spain's seafood white — shellfish, grilled fish, ceviche, sushi and Galician-style octopus are its natural tablemates.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Albariño? The signature white grape of Rías Baixas in north-west Spain — aromatic, high in natural acidity, and known for stone fruit, citrus and a saline Atlantic edge.

What is the alcohol content of the 2016 Vionta? No 2016-specific official figure is published. The US importer lists 12.8% for the bottling and corroborating listings span 12.5–12.8% ABV; the exact figure is printed on the bottle's label.

Where exactly is Val do Salnés? The northernmost, coolest and largest sub-zone of D.O. Rías Baixas in Galicia, centred on the Ría de Arousa — considered the birthplace of the Albariño grape.

Atlantic-cool Albariño from its home sub-zone — order Vionta 2016 from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.