Of the Albarino, the website states, "At Black Ankle Vineyards, we are fortunate enough to have very rocky soil. Additionally, our vineyard crew is diligent in hand-tending our vines to ensure proper airflow and that the vines get plenty of sunlight."
Their first planting of Albariño was a mere ½ acre that they purchased from Fore Vineyards and was planted in their Central Block. That ½ acre provided all the Albariño they had available until 2015, when theirr newest planting in 2011 started yielding fruit. They used cuttings from their own Albariño vines in the Central Block and grafted them to rootstock in two sections of their West Hill Block.
There is no question that this is a Wine Geek's wine. Incredible notes of flowers and tropical fruit dominate the nose. Peach, honeydew, come across on the nose. Lemons and tangerines fill the back of the palate. The fruit lingers and long long time. The nose smells almost sweet, but this is a juicy, dry white wine. A nice mineral note also lingers as well. Absolutely a magical wine. perfect for chicken, fowl, and pork dishes, or with a cheese plate. Big enough to stand up to food, but lovely enough to sip by itself. Absolutely sublime!