Albarino

To say that Jim’s Albariño has come ‘totally out of the blue’ would be an exaggeration, as there have been some interesting wines made from this grape variety on the west coast for years. Until now, Kongsgaard’s Albariño has been our benchmark. But now, with Andremily – from Jim Binns – a second serious contender has entered the fray!

It’s probably more of a coincidence that Andremily has an Albariño in its range, but Jim shows that he certainly has a knack for this variety.

Slide Hill Estate – Andremily’s home since 2019, directly opposite Alban Vineyard in the Edna Valley – was planted with a few blocks of Albariño by Jim’s previous owner. Even though the Edna Valley is a truly cool terroir, the average hours of sunshine are still higher than in Europe. And so the wine that grows here turns out somewhat more robust than we might be used to from an Albariño from Spain.

Nevertheless, this white has real character; it’s a truly delicious wine. Its lush floral bouquet is wonderful, with citrus notes playing a definite role. The wine masterfully combines power and energy. Oh, and you won’t find any new oak aromas here. Jim skilfully puts the grape variety and the Edna Valley terroir centre stage.

A wine that not only makes an impression, but also brings a great deal of joy.