2020 Marimar Estate Albarino Don Miguel Vineyard Russian River Valley Sonoma 750 ml

Not just anybody can produce world-class Albariño in Northern California—but if anybody’s going to succeed, our money is on native Spaniard and industry scion Marimar Torres.

Still, it took her more than 20 years to even attempt to plant Albariño in her Sonoma County holdings, and her first attempt was a misfire.

It turns out that the Sonoma Coast, while magic for Pinot and Chardonnay, is too cold for Albariño, the pride of coastal Galicia. But she persisted, and in 2007 she tried her luck farther inland at her Don Miguel Vineyard in the Green Valley AVA in Russian River. Debuting in 2011, it was a sensation. And it might just be America’s greatest Albariño.

This wine is a nod to Marimar’s past, sourced from her estate’s home vineyard, named for her father, Don Miguel. In Green Valley, a southwestern AVA nestled in Russian River Valley, the microclimate is very similar to Spain’s Rias Baixas, Albariño’s native home. Just ten miles from the Pacific, the meticulously tended vineyard is cooled by morning fog and kept dry by maritime breezes, a one-two punch that preserves mouthwatering acidity, crystal-clear fruit purity, and dramatic freshness in the grapes.

For lovers of unoaked, crisp Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and aromatic whites in general, this wine will be a revelation—especially next to a dozen oysters or pan-seared scallops.