Native to the Rias Baixis region of Spain, but also claimed by North Portugal where it is known as Alvarinho and is one of the primary grapes of Vinho Verde, Albarino is a an intensely aromatic wine that bursts from the glass and is generally characterised by rich stone fruit flavours, hints of salinity and a zippy acidity.
What was thought to be Albarino was planted on the Estate In 2008 and, along with many other wineries that were doing the same, it was discovered that the grape variety had been ‘mislabelled’ and was in fact Savagnin Blanc.
What Happened
In 1989, the CSIRO imported vine cuttings from Spain that were believed to be Albariño. However, the vines had actually been mislabelled in Europe and were Savagnin, an ancient white grape variety from France’s Jura region.
It wasn’t until 2009, when DNA testing was carried out, that the mistake was discovered. By then, Australian vineyards already had established plantings, and some producers had wines from the 2009 vintage ready for market.
They suddenly had to relabel their wines from Albariño to Savagnin — a variety that was largely unknown to Australian consumers at the time.
Take two, and in 2015 Albarino was planted again, this time triple checking the veracity of the label to ensure that it was indeed Albarino.
What followed were a number of releases under the Dalfarras label before now finding its true home under the Tahbilk Estate banner.
(Point to Note: The Savagnin Blanc vines originally believed to be Albarino have since been grafted over to Fiano)
