My brother takes after our parents – neither of whom one would ever accuse of colouring much outside the lines. For the most part, his taste in wine reflects a tried and tested philosophy; nothing outrageous is likely to scandalise his wine glass!
My tastes, on the other hand, reflect – so I theorise – the disproportionate number of recessive genes I’ve inherited from my parents. Let’s just say I have preferences that are rare in my family: minimalism, shades of grey and medium-rare meat come to mind. I also like the contents of my wine glass to challenge and surprise me.
Please don’t tell my brother, but I’ve made it a bit of a mission to introduce him to wines he would never buy himself. This is how Springfield Albarino first crossed my path. I was ambulating among the shelves of my local wine shop when my eye was caught by a Spanish-inspired label. A closer inspection revealed it to be from Springfield in Robertson – Life From Stone! The contents were unfamiliar though. It had to go into my basket! I have to confess though that it never made it into my brother’s birthday box…
According to wine guru, Angela Lloyd, Nederburg planted the first Albarino in South Africa. The first harvest of Albarino in South Africa was however at Newton Johnson Vineyards in the Hemel enAarde Valley. How is this possible? Well, Nederburg planted Albarino cuttings while Newton Johnson grafted it onto 10-year-old vines thus reducing the time to harvest. Clever, with no need to resort to time travel! Their first harvest yielded a meagre eight litres of wine but that was enough to prove its potential.
Springfield’s Bruwers got their first Albarino cuttings from the Newton Johnsons and have over time multiplied them to where they now have 10 hectares of Albarino planted.
Albarino originally hails from northern Portugal and neighbouring Galicia in Spain, yet the Bruwers first came across this seafood-friendly varietal in Uruguay!
Growing conditions at Springfield are harsh, which in the case of Albarino, is probably a good thing as it’s a vigorous grower and generous bearer. The grapes are gently treated in the cellar and yield a wine with stone fruit and floral aromas, bright acidity and a characteristic salty minerality.
As alluded to earlier it is an ideal companion to seafood. It also goes well with Thai or Caribbean dishes – as long as they aren’t too spicy. There is however no reason why you can’t simply have it solo while your feet are dangling in the swimming pool.
Alcohol 13.5% vol | Residual Sugar 1.2 g/l | Total 7.22 g/l | pH 3.31
www.springfieldestate.com | +27 (0)23626 3661
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