Mike Tommasi > wrote in
:
>
> It is a little like albariño: Santiago why do so many winemakers use
> oak on it?


Are you sure "so many" use oak? I think oaked Albariño (at least in D.O.
Rias Baixas) should be around 5% of total production, at most.


> Sure it handles oak quite well.

I disagree!


> You end up with a wine
> where the delicate aromas and superb fruitiness of the grape are
> masked ;-)
>

Now I agree. What I value in Albariño is freshness and fruitiness and the
ability to show terroir.

The cool thing right now in Rias Baixas is allowing the wine to mature on
its lees for a couple of years. Tricó, Albariño de Fefiñanes III año, Do
Ferreiro Cepas Vellas or Pazo de Selección de Añada are good examples of
that.

I only like one Albariño that sees oak: Zárate Palomar, from Salnés area.
Superb terroir, organic viticulture, very tame use of oak, you just
perceive a hint of volume and a bit of smoke. But then my favorite wine
from Zárate is Balado, which sees no oak.

Albariño, with its vivid acidity, is not for Michael, I fear.