The Fanatic 2021

Albariño is considered by some to be the Queen of Spanish white varietals, one that has been grown for centuries with great success in the Northwest of Spain, where it creates a floral and racy wine, analogous in some ways to Sauvignon Blanc but with great mineral depth and citrus expressiveness.
Over the years, we’ve been increasingly impressed with the (albeit limited) high-altitude/cooler site plantings that exist in Washington. The Albariño that makes up The Fanatic comes from one such planting, Dutchman Vineyard, representing one of the highest-altitude plantings of white grapes in the Yakima Valley. Dutchman sits on rocky, pre-Missoula Flood soils and is cooler than the vast majority of sites in the Yakima Valley. It’s the rare site that produces Albariño whose core is very traditional: botanical aromatics with a Meyer Lemon, white melon and grapefruit fruit core, but made more complex with accents of fruit pith and deep minerality.

The 2020 Fanatic’s color is a deep and rich gold, with the intense aromatics to follow: lime zest, Meyer Lemon, freshly zested grapefruit and fresh apricot. The palate is elegant and plush, with bracingly crisp acidity and a wave of honey and green tropical fruit. The delightful sense of fruit pith flows into the lengthy finish, adding saline minerality and fresh cut herbs.

$19.50