Albariño: Spain’s pale star

It’s not hard to see why albariño has become so popular, said Eric Asimov in The New York Times. Bring home any 10 bottles of Spain’s best-known white wine and you’ll find them “resolutely dry, relentlessly citrus-flavored,” and “consistently pleasant.” Far rarer, though, are albariños like these, each of which delivers “a jolt of dimension.”

2011 Forja Del Salnés Rías Baixas Albariño Leirana ($35). Our panel’s top choice featured “deep, true mineral and fruit flavors.”

2011 Granbazán Rías Baixas Albariño Etiqueta Ámbar ($22). Our best-value selection proved “steely and complex,” with lingering spice and citrus flavors.

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2011 Do Ferreiro Rías Baixas Albariño Cepas Vellas ($40). Though this tangy, juicy wine won’t suit all tastes, it’s “a wonderful, age-worthy example of the complexity that albariño can achieve.”