-
Producer
Sittella -
Region
Swan Valley
-
RRP
$34
-
Vintage
2025
-
Variety/Varieties
Albariño
-
Alc./Vol.
13.5%
In the glass, this wine draws you in with its delicate charm – flavours of white florals, grapefruit, orange rind, pear, with a green olive brine edge. There’s a thread of cucumber and almond. There’s a saline edge to the wine thanks to that coastal influence. It’s so intriguing. It’s so morish.
It’s crisp on the palate but textural too. The winemaking feels so composed, so at ease.
Albariño has thick skins which can impart bitterness and texture, but winemaker Yuri Burns here has whole bunch pressed the grapes for a more gentle extraction of juice with less bitter, astringent compounds because the stems protect the berries during pressing. Then there’s some savoury, nutty and textural notes that come through from from extended integration of the ‘lees’ – the dead yeast cells that fall to the bottom of the maturation vessel.
Now, albariño varies quite a bit depending on ripeness and where it’s grown. With less ripeness you get racy citrus and green apple – think laser-sharp acidity. Or with more ripeness you start moving into stone fruit, even tropical notes. But this wine sits in that sweet spot – ripe enough for texture and complexity, but with acidity and minerality at the core.
That balance is crucial in Swan Valley. The region’s warm – really warm – but those sea breezes from the Indian Ocean, the “Fremantle Doctor,” bring cooling relief. And albariño’s naturally thick skins helps the grapes ripen slowly, enabling it to develop flavours while preserving acidity or natural freshness.
Tasting note
A bouquet of jasmine, honeysuckle and fresh ripe white peaches explode out of the glass. Hiding just underneath is a hint of lemon balm, apples picked straight from the orchard and freshly zested limes. It’s soft and pretty, and simultaneously delicate and powerful. On the palate there’s a tautness and drive, little flecks of sea salt, brine and crushed rock. There’s a spectrum of citrus and orchard fruits – think yuzu, Granny Smiths, and a crunchy under ripe pear. Zesty, refreshing acidity bringing all those flavours together in an utterly moreish drink.
When to drink it
You could enjoy this before dinner, catching up with an old friend. If the weather permits, be outside and be prepared for the bottle not to last very long. Refreshingly delicious. Or maybe it’s spring weekends, the smell of jasmine in the air and a table decked with whole baked flounder and a tangle of asparagus you’ve just rescued from the barbecue, all doused with the sort of salt-kissed freshness only the best damn albariño in the land can deliver, and how.
Themes of this wine
Albariño
Spain’s premier white variety, albariño, got off to a shaky start in Australia, with a mix up seeing the French variety savagnin planted instead. That error has been remedied, with genuine albariño now in the ground, while those wayward savagnin vines have established their own distinct identity.
Swan Valley
Western Australia’s Swan Valley is Australia’s second oldest wine region, a treasure-trove of old vines, history and rich cultural connections, yet it is barely recognised by those not from the west. And for those more familiar, the wines are typically seen as more workmanlike than aspirational. On Perth’s doorstep, the Swan cedes most of the attention to Margaret River and the Great Southern. Well, while the Swan became deeply unfashionable for a time, the region’s em, emerging winemakers are bringing an exciting new light right now, and it’s only getting better.
Explore Further
GET FIRST ACCESS TO THE NEXT WINE ICONS – DELIVERED
Find out moreEach month, get 3 bottles of our freshest discoveries. We taste thousands to bring you the best.
Join us and support emerging winemakers, sustainable vineyards, and the development of young professionals.
— Max Allen, Wine Writer
— Broadsheet
— The Australian
