2024 Lagar de Cervera Albariño
In 1988, La Rioja Alta — a Rioja institution since 1890 — went looking for the best white wine terroir in Spain and found it on the other side of the country, in the granite hills of Rías Baixas. They bought a small bodega from a family of shipbuilders who'd been treating winemaking as a hobby, renamed it Lagar de Cervera, and set about doing for Albariño what they'd spent a century doing for Tempranillo: buying the best land and being patient about it. They now own the largest contiguous vineyard holding in the appellation.
The facts
100% Albariño from estate vineyards in O Rosal and Cambados; 2024 brought a warm, wet winter, an unstable rainy spring, and a mild summer — a slow, complete ripening that produced excellent fruit
Fermented at controlled temperatures; no malolactic, to preserve natural acidity; aged on the fine lees with periodic bâtonnage for texture without losing freshness
Best served at 48–50°F; drink now through 2028
In the glass
Clean and bright with a greenish-yellow hue, the 2024 opens with apple and pear, floral and citrus notes lifting underneath. Intense and well-balanced on the palate, with a persistent, saline-accented finish that no malolactic fermentation keeps honest rather than creamy. Pair with any good appetizer, seafood and fish, fowl, fresh cheese, or — per the producer's own suggestion — sushi and sashimi.
2024 Paul Blanck Pinot Noir "Classique"
The Blanck family has been growing grapes in Kientzheim since 1610, which means by the time you get to their "Classique" line, you are drinking the wine equivalent of a famous chef's family recipe — made from the same calcareous clay soils as their celebrated Grand Crus, just presented without the ceremony. It's the house style without the price tag, and Alsace critics have long argued the "Classiques" overdeliver for exactly that reason.
The facts
100% Pinot Noir from Kientzheim; certified organic; calcareous clay soils
Natural yeast fermentation in stainless steel at controlled temperatures, 7–10 days
Aged in stainless steel until spring bottling, then one additional year in bottle before release
Best served chilled, around 55°F; drink now through 2029
In the glass
Light purple-red and brilliant in the glass, the 2024 opens with wild berries and cherry. The palate follows through with light cherry and blackberry, good acidity, and a fresh, lightly smoky finish — nothing between you and the fruit, which is exactly the point. Pair with sirloin, beef tenderloin, or veal with a lightly spiced sauce; also works beautifully on its own.
2022 Áster Reserva
La Rioja Alta named this one after a flower that blooms right at harvest — fitting, since Áster is what happens when the same company behind tonight's Albariño goes looking for Ribera del Duero's best terroir with the same patience they used in Galicia. They spent years studying soils and microclimates before settling on Anguix, a high-altitude pocket of Burgos, and didn't release a wine under their own name until they were sure they had one worth releasing. Same family, same instinct, different grape entirely.
The facts
100% Tinta del País (Tempranillo) from three estate parcels — Fuentecojo, La Cueva, and Otero Joven
Silt-loam soils at 780 meters; 2022 was hot and dry, concentrating the fruit
15 days of fermentation and maceration, then malolactic in French oak with weekly bâtonnage over 60 days
16 months elevage in French oak, 75% new; bottled July 2024
Best served at 60–64°F; drink now through 2030
In the glass
Deep garnet with an intense ruby rim, the 2022 opens with ripe black fruit and wild berry, with licorice, clove, and toasted bread arriving from the barrel. The dry, concentrated vintage shows up as density — this is a powerful wine, with smooth tannins and real balance between the acid and the alcohol. Long, complex finish. Pair with roast lamb, game birds, mature cheese, mushroom risotto, or any meal that benefits from a wine that's been patient longer than you have.