La Multa Albilla Sobre Lías 2023

La Multa is made from the indigenous Spanish grape Albilla, of which there are roughly only 40 hectares planted in all of Spain. It’s super rare to find a wine like this, which comes from the Manchuela region (a hidden gem in central/southeastern Spain, within the larger Castilla-la-Mancha region).

This wine is crafted by Norrel Robertson, nicknamed the Flying Scotsman, who is one of only four Masters of Wine in Spain. He traveled the world making wine before an assignment to Spain in 2003. He fell in love with the ancient, high-grown vines of Calatayud and hasn’t left.

His passion is to search out old, abandoned family vineyards, high up in the hills, and resurrect them. It takes hard work and dedication to save them. Garnacha is his passion, but also Spain’s rare varieties that have almost disappeared. Enter Albilla—a delicate white grape which, as Norrel is proving, shows superb citrus intensity when grown on low-yielding, old vines. Lees aging has lent the fruit a creamy roundness and toast-like notes.

As our local expert Sarah says, “It’s fresh, aromatic, crisp and accessible, but also very complex and sophisticated. Think Santorini meets lees-y Albariño, meets a hint of Burgundy. It’s exciting, racy, lovable and an amazing value for the quality.”