La Marea - Kristy Vineyard Albariño 2024

La Marea, made by Ian Brand of Le P’tit Paysan, is a tiny winery focused on single vineyard Spanish varietals. Brand believes Monterey and San Benito to be some of the most ideally suited climates in California for Spanish varietals like Albariño, Garnacha and Monastrell. Monterey Bay provides an optimal climate for Albariño with its proximity to the cool ocean waters, while the warmer San Antonio and San Benito Valleys closely resemble the Spanish regions where Garnacha and Monastrell thrive. This region, once the site of a shallow ocean bed millions of years ago, is one of the few spots in California with a high percentage of limestone found in the soil which gives the wines a high naturally acidity. Brand works with fruit harvested at lower Brix, ferments using a combination of native and cultured yeast, and favors neutral oak.

The Kristy Vineyard is located near Monterey Bay, and the Albariño grown here is special because it reaches full ripeness at low alcohol with bright natural acidity. 2/3 whole-cluster pressed and 1/3 destemmed, the fruit is left on the skins for two days to extract flavor. The wine is fermented at low temperatures in stainless steel tanks to preserve the purity of fruit but also the wines minerality and freshness. Enjoy with octopus, a bowl of mussels or grilled fish.