2017 Hill Family Estate Albarino Stewart Ranch Napa Valley 750 ml

Albariño is one of today’s hottest grape varieties among sommeliers and casual wine-lovers alike. Yet until now, the best examples have mostly been limited to Rías Baixas, in the Galicia region of northwestern Spain. But the 2017 Hill Family Albariño Stewart Ranch, with its soulful aromas of citrus fruit, and mandarin blossoms, proves that there is huge potential for this incredibly versatile grape in Napa Valley. And at $30, it shows once again that the Hill Family is leading the way toward a wildly exciting and affordable future for America’s most famous wine region.

Every sip of this stunning white explains why the most important critics in the world have been falling over themselves to praise Hill Family’s wines. James Suckling has called them “really beautiful,” “polished,” and “amazing value for Napa.” Vinous has raved about their “succulence and vibrant, racy fruit.” Vintage after vintage, the praise has been growing for seemingly everything they produce.

Which makes sense: Ryan Hill, who is spearheading the operation, is the son of Doug Hill, one of the great legends of the California wine world. In addition to the 120 acres he farms for his family’s wines, he also manages some of the top vineyards in Napa, including those owned by such luminaries as Duckhorn, Ramey, and Silver Oak. Even in his youth, his path seemed clear: “My parents planted vineyards in Alexander Valley in 1960,” he told us, “and my Dad quit the oil business in 1969 to buy and run the Simi Winery in Healdsburg. In 1973, he hired MaryAnn Graf and Andre Tchellistcheff to make the wine, they invited me to work summer and crush, and I was hooked!”

That sense of passion has only grown over the years. And now, with this rare single-vineyard Albariño, he’s ready to make his mark yet again as a Napa Valley trailblazer.

Grown on the foggy, low-lying Stewart Ranch Vineyard in Eastern Carneros, this is exactly the sort of environment that classic Albariño thrives in. There’s a wildlife refuge nearby, and the connection to the natural environment can be felt in every sip of this energetic, stunningly complex white wine.

Plenty of producers are trying their hand at Albariño in the United States right now. But precious few of them are achieving so much with it. And this 2017 finds the perfect balance between the salinity and subtle floral lift of the best of Spain, and the sunny, extroverted fruit that fans of California’s top white wines look for.

Bottles like this are exactly why Hill Family’s wines have become such critical and consumer darlings in recent years. The writers and sommeliers are correct: This really is something special.