Albariño is the headline grape variety of Rías Baixas—and headlines sell. Yet behind the scenes, the finest growers will tell you that the region's less well-known native varieties have an increasingly important supporting role to play. The steak is good, but the sauce completes the dish. Varietales is a blend of Albariño with 20% Caíño Blanco, 20% Loureiro and a drop of Treixadura.
Winemaker Jorge Marcote is evangelical about Caíño Blanco, which here brings flesh-piercing acidity and phenolic bite. Aromas lead you to yellow stone fruits, iodine freshness, rocks and minerals; then, mouthwatering flourishes of green mango and figgy, stony extract anchored by bow-like tension and a steely kick on the finish. A killer Spanish white that holds its own against the best of France.