90 Plus Albarino

90 Plus Albarino is a white wine from the Esplanda label, listed with a Massachusetts appellation. It is built on Albariño, a grape best known from the Rías Baixas coast of Galicia in northwest Spain. The store's listing does not give a vintage, alcohol level or tasting notes, so what follows describes how Albariño typically behaves and what to expect from a bottle like this. A bottle's own label and the producer's notes are the authority on specifics. Albariño is usually a bright, aromatic, unoaked white. Expect citrus first, meaning lemon peel and grapefruit, usually with stone fruit such as peach or apricot and sometimes a floral lift. The body tends to be light to medium, the acidity crisp and mouth-watering, and the finish dry with a faint saline or mineral edge. Because the grape has thick skins and is normally fermented in stainless steel, tannin and oak are essentially absent. If this bottle shows any creaminess, it would more likely come from time on the lees than from barrel influence. Serve it well chilled, around 45 to 50°F, which keeps the acidity lively without muting the aromatics. About two hours in the refrigerator, or 30 minutes in an ice bath, gets it there. Decanting is unnecessary, and a wine like this is best poured straight from the bottle. A standard white wine glass or a slightly tulip-shaped glass concentrates the citrus and floral aromas better than a wide bowl. The grape's coastal heritage points to seafood: steamed mussels, grilled shrimp, oysters, ceviche, or pan-seared white fish with lemon. Its acidity also cuts through fried calamari and fish tacos, and it suits fresh goat cheese, summer salads with herbs, and lightly spiced dishes such as Thai or Vietnamese noodle bowls. Albariño is generally a drink-young style, best within a couple of years of the vintage while the fruit and acidity are at their freshest, so this is a bottle to open soon rather than cellar.