2023 Blanco de Silos, Cillar de Silos, Quintana del Pidio, Spain

Albillo is a white Spanish wine grape variety that comes in different strains, the most common being Albillo Real, also known as Albillo de Madrid, grown in Madrid and in Ávila, Salamanca and Zamora. The second most important is Albillo Mayor, planted in the Ribera del Duero region and  in the Castille-León provinces of Burgos, Segovia and Valladolid. Further north, in Asturias, what is known as Albillo is really Chasselas Blanc The grape is an early-ripening (mid-August), pale-skinned, with small, round berries, delicate flavours, subtle floral aromas, low acidity and high viscosity, yielding full bodied wines. It is an authorized variety in the Ribera del Duero region and one of the main varieties in the Vinos de Madrid DO. Historically, Albillo contributed texture and smoothness to the red wines of the Meseta – a role similar to that of Viognier in Côte Rôtie. A small plot is still cultivated at Vega Sicilia, but total plantings have decreased over the past few decades as growers turned to international varietals. Some growers have successfully experimented with mono-varietal expressions, producing mineral, fresh wines.

If one recalls one’s history, one will remember that it was the marriage of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile that set Spain on its road to unity. This is a somewhat whimsical introduction to Bodegas Cillar de Silos, which is located in the heart of Castille, Ribera del Duero to be precise, but owned and run by the brothers and sister team of Oscár, Roberto and Amelia Aragón. They also manage the El Quintanal Estate in neighbouring wine region Rueda and are thus perfectly located for both red and white wine making, demonstrating all that is great about, respectively, Verdejo and Tempranillo as grape varieties. The Aragóns define the House Philosophy with the words ‘purity, fruit, low yields, long ageing and hand selection’. The wines are finely crafted but demonstrably Spanish, which is good news!