Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Orballo Albariño – Rías Baixas DO, Galicia, Spain 🇪🇸

Overview
A pure expression of Atlantic Albariño from Rías Baixas, showcasing the grape’s natural brightness, saline tension, and coastal freshness. Cool maritime influence keeps the fruit vibrant and the acidity precise, delivering a wine that feels energetic, refreshing, and effortlessly drinkable. This is classic seaside Albariño — clean, expressive, and built for seafood and sunshine.

Aromas & Flavors
Fresh pineapple, mango, and white peach lead the nose, followed by citrus zest, green apple, and subtle floral lift. Light saline notes and crushed stone minerality frame the fruit. The palate stays crisp and dry with a refreshing tropical core and a clean, lightly briny finish that keeps pulling you back for another sip.

Mouthfeel
Light- to medium-bodied with lively acidity and a smooth, polished texture. Bright entry, crisp mid-palate, and a refreshing, mouthwatering finish. Energetic without being sharp, making it extremely easy to drink.

Food Pairings
Perfect with oysters, ceviche, shrimp cocktail, grilled octopus, fish tacos, sushi, and shellfish pastas. Also works beautifully with citrus salads, light tapas, and salty cheeses. A natural match for anything that loves acidity and freshness.

🍷 Personal Pick
This is exactly why Albariño is a warm-weather hero. Crisp, tropical, refreshing, and endlessly food-friendly. One of those bottles that disappears faster than expected, especially when chilled and paired with seafood.

Did You Know?
Rías Baixas vineyards are heavily influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, which gives Albariño its signature salinity, high acidity, and aromatic lift. Many vines are trained on pergolas to improve airflow and protect grapes from humidity, preserving freshness and purity in the fruit. — 5 months ago

Dan Draper

10

Love this Real Ale. One of the best Red Ales I have ever had — 4 years ago

Jim Wagonfeld

9.3

A unique and distinctive wine from the genius that is Envinate. Slightly cloudy, mid yellow. Nose features briny rock, sea shells and lemon. Palate mineral driven with Meyer lemon. Long + acid on the finish. Clearly volcanic and “Atlantic”. We loved it! — 4 years ago

with Judy

Ron from VA

9.1

Again, brilliant! Far more Chinon/Old World than 99.5% of the CF in the Mid Atlantic. While bit more body than the ‘16, but day 2 & 3 showed how much potential this has in the cellar :) — 6 years ago

Haakon Hovde

9.0

Had this with Atlantic cod “Skrei”. A wonderful companion. — 6 years ago

Ron from VA

8.9

This one is all about the Vintage. This is a 3rd label release for boxwood and it is a field blend featuring Malbec, merlot, & PV. Each of these components has the ability to stretch the distance with their acidic/phenolic frames. This vintage was hot and ripe, which made this a real value at $22, but my mission was to age this one out, to see if it would just get flabby. Well, bingo! It’s acid is still firm, however the fruit has really concentrated :) It has clear hit its 3rd phase and I really dig it! It has that Virginia port sweetness from the depth of fruit. Super aromatic as well... this proves that thoughtful work in the cellar can produce ageable Mid-Atlantic (VA) wines! — 7 years ago

Chip Hughes

9.4

90 Albariño, 5 Caino, 5 Loureiro; Rosal is a tiny appellation situated right where the Mino River empties into the Atlantic Ocean. Intensely saline, almost iodized. Densely textured, with powerful aromas/flavors of wet stones, sea spray, ripe citrus. Tiny bit of trapped CO2 + bracing (and appropriate) acidity. #rosal #ríasbaixas #couselo — 8 years ago

Chip Habegger

9.2

Lemonade-like acidity. Minerally. Tropical without sweetness. Makes you feel like you are on an Atlantic island. — 6 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

Mostly Tempranillo with a small amount of Graciano, aged in oak for 15 months, from the Rioja Alavesa, where Tempranillo thrives in a microclimate strongly influenced both by the elevation and the proximity of the Atlantic ocean. Deep Ruby with aromas of aromas of red fruits with cedar and spice notes. On the palate flavors of cherry and red plum with vanilla, oak and cacao notes. Fine tannins, long finish, ending with fruit, oak, pepper earthy character. Nice value! — 3 years ago

Severn G

9.2

Atlantic Ocean, lite...Notes tomorrow?

192H Update:
Nose has fully saturated oak plank, moist almonds, incredible sweet & saline notes, fermenting green apples, white chocolate bar, white candle wax and fresh yellow apple slice. Palate has almond broth (does that exist?), dried yellow apple, chamomile tea, moist bread, faint green olive (?) with mild saline finish, faint acidity. Damn I do not drink enough Manzanilla! — 4 years ago

Richard Mora

9.0

I feel like I’m standing cliff side overlooking the Atlantic. I can almost feel the mist spritzing my face. Brine and minerals up front. Secondary aromas of stone fruits and sweet-smelling flowers (or is it melon?). Flavors of flint and lemon peel complimented with a beautiful, long acidity.

— 5 years ago

Josh Morgenthau

9.3

Unique wine from pre-phylloxera vines grown in the sand less than a mile from the Atlantic. Nose is grape juice concentrate and beef jerky, teriyaki, some smoke, berries and a clay/mineral earthiness. A remarkable freshness too. Bright red fruit on the palate. Ripe, without compromised acidity. Silky texture and fine tannins. Reminds me of Cote Rotie but with a boost in acid and saltiness. Drinking beautifully now though another 10-15 years in the bottle probably wouldn’t hurt! — 6 years ago

Jenny R

9.0

Intense and juicy laurel/bay, excellent minerality and layers. Racy acidity. A little lemon meringue with some salty Atlantic air. — 8 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Don Próspero – Tannat 2017
Canelones, Uruguay 🇺🇾

Overview:
Made from Uruguay’s flagship grape, this 100% Tannat hails from the Canelones region, the country’s viticultural heartland. It captures the bold, structured, and unapologetically powerful style that has put Uruguay on the wine map.

Aromas & Flavors:
Dark fruit at its core, black plum, blackberry, and cassis, wrapped in notes of cedar, baking spice, and a touch of earth. After hours in the decanter, it remained tight yet expressive, with hints of licorice and savory herbs peeking through.

Mouthfeel:
Full-bodied with gripping, chewy tannins and firm dryness. The structure dominates, yet there’s depth and intensity that suggests longevity. Still evolving in the glass.

Food Pairings:
Perfect with rich and fatty dishes that tame its tannins, think grilled ribeye, lamb shanks, or slow-braised short ribs. Also works with aged Manchego or blue cheese.

Verdict:
A serious, food-demanding Tannat that showcases Uruguay’s bold personality. Not a casual sipper, but for the right pairing it becomes absolutely delicious. With its muscle and backbone, this vintage still has 5–8 years of cellaring potential ahead. Cheers!

Did You Know?
Uruguay is the only country where Tannat is the national grape, brought over by Basque settlers in the 19th century. Canelones, just north of Montevideo, produces nearly two-thirds of Uruguay’s wine and is known for its Atlantic breezes, which help balance Tannat’s tannic intensity with freshness. — 9 months ago

Andrew Holod

National Sales Grapes of Spain

9.4

Birthday bottle with Balkan take away from Ambar DC.
Shows why this is still an underrated variety. Both dense, dark and plummy on one hand and a bit leafy/herbal and mineral on the other. It seems to meet somewhere in the Eastern Atlantic between Castilla y Leon and Bordeaux. — 3 years ago

Erin Lenczycki

9.3

Very nice, well balanced. Should try to drink the night you open as it goes south fast. — 5 years ago

Victor Charcan

9.3

Elegant nose of sour cherries, smoke, bacon, slate, blood. A metallic mineral hint and fantastic acidity that points you in an Atlantic direction. A beauty, at a very affordable price, if you are a Burgundy lover this is Spain’s closest — 6 years ago

Richard List

9.0

Cornwall in a bottle - saline freshness and wonderfully crisp. This is just made for (Cornish) seafood and fish. The acidity will work perfectly with crab or prawns. A real knockout. — 6 years ago

Zach Jindra

9.0

A classic Rias Biaxas. Love this wine. Beautiful ripe citrus and orchard fruit lifted with zippy acidity. A nose of white blossoming flowers. Salty Atlantic sea breeze. Mmmm. — 8 years ago

Virginia Thomas

9.6

Atlantic Beach Country Club member guest with Alex and Leslie Calder — 8 years ago