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Fefinanes Albarino
Bodegas del Palacio de Fefinanes
Spain - Galicia - Rias Baixas   

Fresh fruit aromas of apricot and peach slices with notes of lemon and green apple. Pretty notes of honey and wet nutmeg, and the mouth is round, clean, and pleasant with baked apple, honey, and lemon.

This classic Albariño is good young, but actually improves over two to three years and remains quite drinkable for up to five years.

Specifications
Appellation
Rias Baixas
Wine Type
White
Varietal(s)
100% Albarino
Soil type
sandy with limestone & clay
Vinification
Fermented in stainless steel vats and bottled in its first year.
Pairings

Clam, lobster, fish, mussels, oysters. Asian cuisine.

Reviews and News

2021 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - 93 PTS - TA

2021 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - 93 PTS - TA

tim atkin logo 250"One of those textbook Albariños that delivers the goods, year in, year out, this is a very pure expression of the grape, with no lees ageing at all. Sourced from vineyards in the Cambados sub-region, all on decomposed granite soils, it has lovely pear and lime zest flavours and engaging focus, minerality and stony freshness. Hard to beat at the price. 2022-26"

- Tim Atkin (Rias Baixas Special Report 2022), 93 pts

2021 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - 91+ PTS - WA

2021 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - 91+ PTS - WA

wa91"There was a lot of thirst for the new vintage as the wines from the region sold out, so there are a handful of 2021s in the market, including the super young and austere 2021 Albariño de Fefiñanes. It's from a cold year that delivered a wine with 12.5% alcohol and a sharp palate with very good freshness and acidity and pungent flavors. This is a prototype of austere Albariño with aging potential, great purity, freshness and balance. 170,000 bottles produced. - Luis Gutiérrez"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue 259, February 28th 2022), 91+ pts

2020 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - 93 PTS - TP

2020 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - 93 PTS - TP

tasting panel logo"This stainless-steel fermented white is youthful, but shows great grace with a texturally provocative mouthfeel. The gliding whirlpool of apricot, peach, melon, and honeyed pineapple mix with a salty slate."

- The Tasting Panel (May/June 2022, “Best of Western Europe"), 93 pts

2020 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - 91 PTS - WE

2020 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - 91 PTS - WE

wine enthusiast 91 pts

 

 

- Wine Enthusiast (May 2022), 91 pts

2020 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - 89 PTS - DECANTER

2020 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - 89 PTS - DECANTER

decanter logo 250"At the pricier end of the Albariño scale, this comes from Rías Baixas' most historic producer of the grape variety, established in 1904. Quite a broad style, rounded in the mouth, with soft, peachy fruit, and a refreshing seam of mouthwatering acidity. There's also an underlying note of preserved lemons – combining zesty citrus character with a hint of salinity. A lovely match for seafood. Would like to see it under screwcap. Drinking Window 2021 - 2023 - Amy Wislocki"

- Decanter (March 2021), 89 pts

2020 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - *** GREAT VALUE - WP

2020 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - *** GREAT VALUE - WP

wplogo"Wow — intense and minerally, yet full of ripe notes of peaches, apricots and nectarines, this is an outstanding albariño. Enjoy it with your favorite seafood, and if you can restrain yourself, stretch it over several nights. The wine becomes more expressive, an indicator that any bottles you can refrain from opening should age well over the next few years. ABV: 13.5 percent. BW: 650 grams (Average)."

 - Washington Post (April 2022)

2019 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - 92 PTS - VINOUS

2019 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - 92 PTS - VINOUS

vinous logo"Limpid, green-tinged yellow. Sharply focused, mineral-driven lemon pith, pear skin and tarragon scents pick up a floral nuance with air. Shows distinct saltiness and sharp focus as well as depth on the palate, offering sappy Meyer lemon, pear and honeycomb flavors and a touch of herbacity. Finishes long and chewy, with the floral and tarragon notes repeating. This wine's intriguing, savory and briny character is pretty wild, and I can vouch for how well it works with raw oysters and clams. In the context of world-class white wines, this one delivers simply amazing value. - Josh Raynolds"

- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (June 2021), 92 pts

2019 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - 91 PTS - WA

2019 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - 91 PTS - WA

wa91"The regular Albariño is one of the most reliable among the more available wines, and it tends to show well early on and also age nicely for a few years in bottle. The 2019 Albariño de Fefiñanes feels unusually expressive and ready, very approachable, with a harmonious nose but with none of that reductive character often found in the early bottled wines. It's floral, varietal, aromatic and clean, with a balanced palate combining volume with great freshness. I tend to like this wine two or three years after the harvest. - Luis Gutiérrez"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (June 2020), 91 pts

2019 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - 90 PTS - WE

2019 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - 90 PTS - WE

wine enthusiast 90 pts

"Briny apple aromas come with a dusty note, while this is both juicy and full on the palate, with lime-like acidity. Flavors of lime, green melon, apple and sea salt are appealing. On the finish, this feels lively and acidic, with a note of green herbs. Drink now. - MICHAEL SCHACHNER"

- Wine Enthusiast (September 2021), 90 pts

2018 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - 91 PTS - W&S

2018 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - 91 PTS - W&S

wine and spirits logo 250"This supple wine has a tangy green-fruit character, like the entire lime, from cool zest and pith to pulp, or crunchy cucumber. Pour it with a tarragon-and-lime-infused prawn ceviche."
- Wine & Spirits Magazine (August 2019), 91 pts - Year’s Best Galician Wines

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2017 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - FOOD&WINE

2017 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - FOOD&WINE

foodwine logo"This smells like the sea in the very best sense: Oyster shells, lemon zest, just the slightest hint of flowers it the background, perhaps a bit of warm hay or grass: It’s a savory expression of the variety. On the palate, each sip is concentrated and nervy with acidity, showcasing a layered mid-palate that carries flavors of hard stone fruit and mineral, all of it lingering through the long, almost briny finish. Bring on the raw seafood! - Brian Freedman"
- Food&Wine (20 White Wines You Can Still Drink When It's Cold Out, October 10th 2019)

2017 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - 94 PTS - JD

2017 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - 94 PTS - JD

jeb dunnuck logo 250"One of the top whites in this report is the 2017 Albariño from Palacio de Fefinanes, which is 100% varietal and sees no oak, being brought up all in stainless steel. Vivid notes of lime, citrus, crushed rocks, and an almost Riesling-like petrol character all soar from the glass. Medium-bodied, seamless, and incredibly elegant on the palate, it has remarkable purity of fruit and flawless balance, and while it’s not as concentrated as the more expensive 1583 cuvée, I like the balance and purity here more. This is one to seek out, and it should keep for 2-4 years."

- Jeb Dunnuck (March 27th 2019), 94 pts

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2017 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - 93 PTS - W&S

2017 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - 93 PTS - W&S

wine and spirits logo 250"This is the flagship of Palacio de Fefiñanes, first produced in 1928. The grapes are from Cambados, and the wine spends six months in stainless-steel tanks until it’s bottled. A classic albariño from Rías Baixas, this is a lovely mix of peach flavors, scents of flowers and herbs and a mineral background. It is soft, round, juicy and rich in its lime-scented acidity. For batter-fried calamari."
- Wine & Spirits Magazine (August 2018), 93 pts
Year’s Best Galician & Rias Baixas Wines

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2017 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - 92 PTS - VINOUS

2017 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - 92 PTS - VINOUS

vinous logo"Limpid straw-yellow. Vibrant, mineral-accented apple, lemon zest and jasmine scents are complemented by a deeper suggestion of white peach. Racy and sharply focused on the palate, showing energetic lift and cut to its fresh Meyer lemon and pear flavors. The mineral quality comes back strong on a penetrating, clinging finish that leaves a sexy floral note behind.. - Josh Raynolds"

- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (March 2019), 92 pts

Go to Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño

2017 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - 91 PTS - WE

2017 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - 91 PTS - WE

wine enthusiast 91 pts"Fefiñanes ranks among the best and most consistent makers of Albariño in Rías Baixas, so no surprise that this comes across clean on the nose, with lively notes of white fruits and buttercup. A plump but vibrant palate is still in peak condition, while this tastes of nectarine, apple, honeydew and lime. Drink through 2019."
- Wine Enthusiast Magazine (August 1st 2019), 91 pts

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2017 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - *** - WP

2017 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - *** - WP

wplogo".Albariño from Rias Baixas, its homeland in Galicia, in Spain’s northwest, can be racy, minerally and saline when grown near the coast, as if seasoned by the salty sea breeze off the Atlantic. Farther inland, the wine tends to the fruity side, with orchard flavors of peach and apricot. The Fefinanes is sourced from vineyards closer to the sea, imparting that minerally quality, but with older vines (averaging 40 years), to add fruity intensity. Pair this beauty with shellfish such as lobster, clams or mussels. ABV: 13 percent. - Dave McIntyre"
- The Washington Post (September 19th 2018), ***

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2017 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - *** - NEW YORK TIMES

2017 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - *** - NEW YORK TIMES

nytimes banner"The 2017 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño is rich, textured and deeply mineral, with citrus, herbal and floral aromas and flavors. - Eric ASIMOV"
- New York Times (Albariño Finds Its Inner Beauty,July 5th 2019), ***

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2016 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - Spain’s very best white wines - THE GUARDIAN

2016 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - Spain’s very best white wines - THE GUARDIAN

the guardian logo th"Most examples of the Galician white grape variety albariño available in the UK are not bad at all. They do their slightly apricotty, fresh thing, matching very well with seafood or cleansing a tired post-work brain with minimal fuss. They’re a reliable under-a-tenner alternative to sauvignon blanc when the gooseberry greenness of that grape variety seems a bit too much. Fefiñanes has always been better than that, however, and the latest vintage (available this week) from the first producer to bottle the variety solo in the 1920s is simply superb. Pristine, fleshy ripe pear, apple and white peach, and a wave of salty freshness that can’t help but make you think of seaspray. One of Spain’s very best white wines."
- David Williams's wines of the week, The Guardian - "A selection of aromatic Spanish wines" - April 2017

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2016 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - 92 PTS - VINOUS

2016 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - 92 PTS - VINOUS

vinous logo"Pale yellow. Mineral-laced orchard and citrus fruit scents are complemented by a sexy floral nuance. Offers bitter pear skin and tangerine flavors that are complicated by an intense floral quality that emerges on the back half. Shows excellent focus and energy on a long, taut finish that features notes of salty minerals and honeysuckle. - Josh Raynolds"

- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (March 2019), 92 pts

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2016 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - 6 White Wines you don't know and should - Vinepair

2016 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño - 6 White Wines you don't know and should - Vinepair

vinepair logo web"Another unoaked white wine, crisp, exotic, refreshing, and delicately fruity. More supple than other brightly acidic whites (see Vinho Verde, which tends to feature Albarino), with notes of vanilla and peach. Mild salinity interrupts any heft. Meaning you’ll feel like you’re sitting seaside somewhere on the Spanish coastline."
- Emily Bell, Vinepair - "6 White Wines you don't know and should" - February 9th 2017

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Producer Information: Bodegas del Palacio de Fefinanes

Founded in 1904, Palacio de Fefiñanes is housed inside a spectacular baronial palace - the 17th century Plaza de Fefiñanes - which sits on the lovely main square of coastal ...
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