Nanclares y Prieto 'Tempus Vivendi' Albariño 2023

From the importer: Tempus Vivendi is a blend of multiple plots from Sanxenxo at the very southern tip of the Salnes valley, an outcrop of land that sticks straight out into the Atlantic Ocean. The climate here is noticeably colder and more exposed than the rest of Salnes and consequently it is here that the Nanclares y Prieto wines become the most angular and austere. Riven with iodine and salt and structured by a bracing acidity, Tempus Vivendi is about as far as you can get from the tropical, fruity Albariño often hidden under a garish label that's become a commercial success. Pitched and nervy when it's first released, with a few months Tempus Vivendi settles into itself and develops into an immensely satisfying and serious version of Albariño.

Nanclares y Prieto have developed something of a cult following in natural wine bars and shops around the globe. It’s not the sort of recognition they sought out but their commitment to vineyard health and the distinctiveness that they are able to coax out of each plot of Albariño has made their wines a sort of touchstone: a reminder that in the right hands and with the right care Albariño can be just as sensitive to changes in terroir as Chenin Blanc or Chardonnay. The wines are all made with indigenous yeasts and no additives or manipulation other than minimal doses of sulphur, they are pure Salnes Albariño from a humble but very, very talented team.