Albillo Mayor is a white variety that has its origins in Galicia in north-western Spain. Interestingly, DNA studies have determined that it is one of the parent grapes of Tempranillo, one of Spain’s premier red varieties. There is also an understanding that it is the origin of the widely acclaimed Argentinian white variety, Torrontes. After some discussion and consideration, we have opted to use Albillo Mayor as the varietal name. Some may recall the first vintage of this wine (2019) we called Anonymity in lieu of determining the best option.
The style of wine is focused on ripe, tropical fruit with a softer palate while still maintaining balanced natural acidity. The wine is medium-bodied, with forward flavour and bright natural acidity.
Even though it is a lighter style, the wine still retains a great length of flavour, perfect for patio entertaining. This style also works very well with quite spicy foods, certainly without the interference of oak.
Our Estate Vermentino Block 3F was planted in 2012 and the 5.02 acres has 10’ x 5’ spacings and utilizes a simple vertical shoot positioning (VSP) canopy. The variety enjoys the warmth of the region and typically ripens early, usually producing wines around 13 – 13.5% alcohol. The 2020 Vermentino was harvested at 24.1 Brix and underwent an extended ferment at a controlled, quite low temperature of 60°F.
The cooler ferment guarantees the retention of the more subtle aromas and flavours that are typically absent in warmer conditions in the cellar. This wine has exhibited the greatest depth and complexity so far and its amazing texture shows how versatile the variety can be. Starting with lifted citrus-like aromas, the prettier characters emerge as the wine opens up. Hints of orange peel, elderflower, and green melons lead into an equally enticing palate. Great length of flavour, bright acidity, and the tiniest hint of skins at the finish exemplify the ‘complete’ wine.
The variety of this wine is Torrontes and it is indigenous to the Galicia region in northwest Spain, known as the “Torrontés of Galicia.” This is the first crop harvested for this varietal from our vineyard. 7.9 tons of Torrontes fruit was harvested on September 30th, 2019, and arrived at the winery in the morning with no hiccups. It was then crushed, destemmed, and pressed in our Diemme inert gas system press right away.
Winemaking Notes
The Brix level upon arrival was 22 degrees and the pH was 3.61. Acid was added to the pressed juice to help adjust the high pH level caused by our vineyard conditions. The juice was chilled in tank. After the solids settled out, the juice was racked and inoculated in a new stainless steel tank on October 5th. The ferment was complete on November 18th, and the wine was racked again. Bentonite was added for heat stability and SO2 was added as a preservative after the ferment was done. The wine was racked off the bentonite and cream of tartar was added for cold stability. The wine was filtered before bottling.
This white wine has highly perfumed aromas on the nose while being fruit-forward and with a smooth mouthfeel on the palate, balanced by a hint of refreshing acidity. This white wine is best served chilled and perfect to pair with spicier dishes, such as curries or Thai dishes.
We are a customer-focused team proudly representing Paso Robles & committed to continuing to bolster the high-quality reputation of Paso Robles wines. Broken Earth Winery, produces unique wines that are estate grown, harvested & bottled in Paso Robles.
Rancho Tierra Rejada, Spanish for “land of worked earth,” is the original name of the 2,500 acre Paso Robles ranch that is now home to the vineyards of Broken Earth Winery. Our unique wines reflect winemaker Chris Cameron’s committed & passionate approach to all aspects of winemaking. Structure & balance are most critical, each varietal released is an accurate reflection of the style & the region. Broken Earth Winery remains committed to sustainable ideals, and to continuing to bolster the high-quality reputation of Paso Robles wines.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, ID, LA, ME, MD, MA, MN, MO, MT, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, ND, OK, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WY
Labrat checking in for duty! First up, the 2019 Broken Earth Anonymity
The UPS hint notification arrived almost at the same time as the message from Alice about what to anticipate coming my way, but like the middle schooler disappointingly waiting well after everyone’s gone to be picked up by their busy parent I seem to have been shuffled to the near end of the daily route for my area. After riding around in a box truck for 10 hours on a welcomed mid-80s high day, the double-barrel styrofoam box still yielded a rather warm feeling payload. Despite the evening arrival (as well as a delay of a day) I still had a few days before the report deadline, so promptly into refrigeration it went to chill and hopefully prevent adversity.
Buenas noticias, it seemed to survive. For the ocular patdown (sorry been revisiting Always Sunny), hmm Broken Earth- don’t recall having any directly but heard it before, maybe in a meh special bottling? And a “white wine”? The omission of a distinct varietal on the label admittedly raised an eyebrow. However the rough (broken?) die cut on the front label top does exude a bit of interest and nod to investment in subtle detail…
After extended chilling, I pulled the bottle and left it in a cool room a few hours to slowly acclimate to drinking temp. While heating dinner I fetched and twist-opened then sniffed- nothing too surprising in the way of notes: light citrus, lemony grapefruit. Pouring into a glass was nearly transparent at first, but showed a little yellow as more fell in. No real legs to speak of at first. Taste was moderately acidic, with a little bite at first even (to me at least). Some mild unobvious fruit like lemon or orange, like banana – without the sweetness. Flavor dropped off within a second; no real lingering. Seems refreshing. This could be dangerously easy to down out in the sun.
The young 20s daughter and boyfriend had also just arrived with their own fast fare so I poured them a glass for some extra opinions. They found it pleasant, especially compared to the last labrat I pulled her in for (Pedroncelli Rose) and the half empty (adorably oblivious to the meaning) Ménage a Trois “Exotic” white blend she left out over the weekend that I wasn’t touching. Boyfriend added it was smoothly buttery. They didn’t comment much on pairing with the fried cheese curds but seemed to go over well.
Shortly after they left, dinner for us was chicken cordon bleu which turned out to be a pretty good pairing. Acidity and delicate flavor worked decently with the creamy cheese and breaded chicken. Flavors and legs seemed to develop a little more after a couple hours.
In short, unassuming, clean and refreshing. Somewhat of a crowd pleaser and not at all bad for a “white wine” (in fact I just realized I ratted a Cult Sauvignon Blanc a year or so back for which I had very similar notes). Thanks and cheers to Alice and the rest of the CM team for the rat opportunity!
@HOUSTONHOARDER@rjquillin I do believe it has distribution in Ohio though. Pretty sure I’ve come across this in the wild. Sucks having heavy handed control states.
Caveat, I haven’t been drinking much wine lately. I usually prefer white/rose/sparkling, and the acidity hasn’t been agreeing with me this summer.
Pale and thin, with a light, not quite fruity sweet scent. Pulled it out of the wine fridge (kept at 54) and popped/poured. There’s a solid minerality here, not sweet to my tastes, but not bitter or puckery with it. Definitely a bit less acidic than the sauv blancs and my usual other summer sippers, which is nice. Pineapple and maybe pear? Something stone fruity.
It’s very well balanced, it’d make a good brunch wine. It would go well with pastry and cheese. I don’t think it would hold up to strong flavors in food. Goes down easy. Very approachable. I’m strongly tempted to get a case and keep on hand for when the in laws come by, as it seems like a wine that they’d happily down while chatting the day away.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
Broken Earth Mixed Whites - $30 = 21.42%
Pale lemon color, little legs.
Nose is filled with bright green apple, and floral notes. Reminds me of a spring rain.
My first sip is medium acid, dry and on the lighter side. Subtle alcohol. Good stone/gravel, with green fruit (apple, unripe pineapple), lime zest with the pith.
This is an easy drinking wine. This is a stoop sipper. This is one to buy a case, sit on my stoop and pass out a glass to the adults while kids are trick or treating.
That Vermentino review from Wine Enthusiast:
93 points. Editors’ Choice. There’s a sharp, metallic aroma to the nose of this bottling that’s very focused and precise, with a hint of apple skin in the background. The palate is tightly wound and loaded with fiery acidity, cutting viciously through flavors of apple flesh and melon rind. — Matt Kettmann 3/1/22
Really torn on this one… seems too cheap to be worth shipping but I see lots of people are buying this one. With the lack of available information available on the internet for these, what factors are you guys considering when purchasing this deal?
@HOUSTONHOARDER I’m a cheap zippy white fan so these should be up my alley but I’m a bit worried that these are past their prime for the lighter style they were made in. None of the lab rat reports has persuaded me otherwise. Would be happy for someone else to convince me though
Labrats: can you speak to the freshness for the wine you kindly ratted? In other words, is fruit still present? Acidity? Crispness? I’m a bit concerned about the vintages since it’s 2024. I prefer my steel whites clean and crisp and within two years from vintage but have found older ones that are still in a good place
Thank you
@losthighwayz I tend to like my wine aged as much or more, that said there was definitely a present acidity (for the Anonymity), somewhat bright fruit, but not totally sure how to answer to crispness – it wasn’t overly tart if it’s that. I asked my partner about freshness and her answer was “yeah, I liked it!” (note that we don’t typically go for whites other than for cooking, and are not fans of anything sweet).
Also tried it again just now (did not store cold) and the flavors were more muted but lingered longer.
@losthighwayz I’m not fussy about my wine, but it doesn’t have any of that chemically taste I associate with older white wines (my palate says it tastes like a hint of artificial sweetner, though I’m sure that’s not something wines are using, just the association my brain makes.) It’s been more prevalent over the last couple years, to the point where I cut down my wine drinking. Thankfully NONE of that flavor was in the bottle I tried.
@Jamileigh17@losthighwayz yeah I tend to be OK with older vintages especially for varietals or blends like these. And have to say you had me at “acid and gravel” (maybe not a lot of folks would say, “Oooh, just what I like!” But… Yes)
@Mark_L yes also heard the legends of the SOIWBM but SO is not here so no danger clicking the buy button. SO will be here when it arrives so it will either be UPS guy in driveway or “we have to go to UPS store to pick up something” “What???” And it will go downhill from there.
2021 Broken Earth Limited Release Albillo Mayor, Paso Robles
Tasting Notes
Specs
2020 Broken Earth Limited Release Vermentino, Paso Robles
93 points/Editor’s Choice ~ Wine Enthusiast
Tasting Notes
Specs
2019 Broken Earth Limited Release Anonymity, Paso Robles, Estate Grown
Tasting Notes
Winemaking Notes
Specs
What’s Included
6-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not all wines for sale on winery website, $360/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, ID, LA, ME, MD, MA, MN, MO, MT, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, ND, OK, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Oct 14 - Tuesday, Oct 15
Broken Earth Mixed Whites
6 bottles for $69.99 $11.67/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $109.99 $9.17/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2021 Broken Earth Limited Release Albillo Mayor
2020 Broken Earth Limited Release Vermentino
2019 Broken Earth Limited Release Anonymity
Labrat checking in for duty! First up, the
2019 Broken Earth Anonymity
The UPS hint notification arrived almost at the same time as the message from Alice about what to anticipate coming my way, but like the middle schooler disappointingly waiting well after everyone’s gone to be picked up by their busy parent I seem to have been shuffled to the near end of the daily route for my area. After riding around in a box truck for 10 hours on a welcomed mid-80s high day, the double-barrel styrofoam box still yielded a rather warm feeling payload. Despite the evening arrival (as well as a delay of a day) I still had a few days before the report deadline, so promptly into refrigeration it went to chill and hopefully prevent adversity.
Buenas noticias, it seemed to survive. For the ocular patdown (sorry been revisiting Always Sunny), hmm Broken Earth- don’t recall having any directly but heard it before, maybe in a meh special bottling? And a “white wine”? The omission of a distinct varietal on the label admittedly raised an eyebrow. However the rough (broken?) die cut on the front label top does exude a bit of interest and nod to investment in subtle detail…
After extended chilling, I pulled the bottle and left it in a cool room a few hours to slowly acclimate to drinking temp. While heating dinner I fetched and twist-opened then sniffed- nothing too surprising in the way of notes: light citrus, lemony grapefruit. Pouring into a glass was nearly transparent at first, but showed a little yellow as more fell in. No real legs to speak of at first. Taste was moderately acidic, with a little bite at first even (to me at least). Some mild unobvious fruit like lemon or orange, like banana – without the sweetness. Flavor dropped off within a second; no real lingering. Seems refreshing. This could be dangerously easy to down out in the sun.
The young 20s daughter and boyfriend had also just arrived with their own fast fare so I poured them a glass for some extra opinions. They found it pleasant, especially compared to the last labrat I pulled her in for (Pedroncelli Rose) and the half empty (adorably oblivious to the meaning) Ménage a Trois “Exotic” white blend she left out over the weekend that I wasn’t touching. Boyfriend added it was smoothly buttery. They didn’t comment much on pairing with the fried cheese curds but seemed to go over well.
Shortly after they left, dinner for us was chicken cordon bleu which turned out to be a pretty good pairing. Acidity and delicate flavor worked decently with the creamy cheese and breaded chicken. Flavors and legs seemed to develop a little more after a couple hours.
In short, unassuming, clean and refreshing. Somewhat of a crowd pleaser and not at all bad for a “white wine” (in fact I just realized I ratted a Cult Sauvignon Blanc a year or so back for which I had very similar notes). Thanks and cheers to Alice and the rest of the CM team for the rat opportunity!
Well I was excited until I saw no OH.
Rats! Pun intended
@smoothie72 What does no OH and the below comment no IL mean?
@HOUSTONHOARDER @smoothie72
No shipping to OH or IL. Winery needs a license for each state it ships to. Many are hostile, or very pricey.
@smoothie72 Thank you
@smoothie72 No MW as in no IL, IN, Mi, WI, IA, + OH. Maybe a license here or there would’ve paid off. Just saying.
@HOUSTONHOARDER @rjquillin I do believe it has distribution in Ohio though. Pretty sure I’ve come across this in the wild. Sucks having heavy handed control states.
@smoothie72 yah, I can’t even Woot-leg any of this to or from you as we will be traveling for a wedding in CMH next month
@HOUSTONHOARDER @rjquillin @smoothie72 I remember people linking this site from the old W.W days. Not sure it makes a difference but can’t hurt.
https://freethegrapes.org/
Agreed, I’ve been looking forward to some whites - alas no IL.
Pardon typos, I’m on my phone.
2021 Broken Earth Limited Release Albillo Mayor
Caveat, I haven’t been drinking much wine lately. I usually prefer white/rose/sparkling, and the acidity hasn’t been agreeing with me this summer.
Pale and thin, with a light, not quite fruity sweet scent. Pulled it out of the wine fridge (kept at 54) and popped/poured. There’s a solid minerality here, not sweet to my tastes, but not bitter or puckery with it. Definitely a bit less acidic than the sauv blancs and my usual other summer sippers, which is nice. Pineapple and maybe pear? Something stone fruity.
It’s very well balanced, it’d make a good brunch wine. It would go well with pastry and cheese. I don’t think it would hold up to strong flavors in food. Goes down easy. Very approachable. I’m strongly tempted to get a case and keep on hand for when the in laws come by, as it seems like a wine that they’d happily down while chatting the day away.
Thank you Alice, etc for letting me try it.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
Broken Earth Mixed Whites - $30 = 21.42%
Today I have the
2020 Broken Earth Limited Release Vermentino
Pale lemon color, little legs.
Nose is filled with bright green apple, and floral notes. Reminds me of a spring rain.
My first sip is medium acid, dry and on the lighter side. Subtle alcohol. Good stone/gravel, with green fruit (apple, unripe pineapple), lime zest with the pith.
This is an easy drinking wine. This is a stoop sipper. This is one to buy a case, sit on my stoop and pass out a glass to the adults while kids are trick or treating.
That Vermentino review from Wine Enthusiast:
93 points. Editors’ Choice. There’s a sharp, metallic aroma to the nose of this bottling that’s very focused and precise, with a hint of apple skin in the background. The palate is tightly wound and loaded with fiery acidity, cutting viciously through flavors of apple flesh and melon rind. — Matt Kettmann 3/1/22
…and that’s about it
fwiw
@kaolis glad I ordered. Don’t even make me drool at words others might fear, like Sharp, metallic, and vicious. bring it on!
Really torn on this one… seems too cheap to be worth shipping but I see lots of people are buying this one. With the lack of available information available on the internet for these, what factors are you guys considering when purchasing this deal?
@HOUSTONHOARDER I’m a cheap zippy white fan so these should be up my alley but I’m a bit worried that these are past their prime for the lighter style they were made in. None of the lab rat reports has persuaded me otherwise. Would be happy for someone else to convince me though
@user48745965 Thank you for your insights, that makes sense.
Labrats: can you speak to the freshness for the wine you kindly ratted? In other words, is fruit still present? Acidity? Crispness? I’m a bit concerned about the vintages since it’s 2024. I prefer my steel whites clean and crisp and within two years from vintage but have found older ones that are still in a good place
Thank you
@losthighwayz
For me, yes if you like green fruit, acid and gravel.
@losthighwayz I tend to like my wine aged as much or more, that said there was definitely a present acidity (for the Anonymity), somewhat bright fruit, but not totally sure how to answer to crispness – it wasn’t overly tart if it’s that. I asked my partner about freshness and her answer was “yeah, I liked it!” (note that we don’t typically go for whites other than for cooking, and are not fans of anything sweet).
Also tried it again just now (did not store cold) and the flavors were more muted but lingered longer.
@james thank you for your reply. Definitely helps!
@jml326 in that order? Lol
Yes this is helpful. Sounds like my type of white!
@losthighwayz I’m not fussy about my wine, but it doesn’t have any of that chemically taste I associate with older white wines (my palate says it tastes like a hint of artificial sweetner, though I’m sure that’s not something wines are using, just the association my brain makes.) It’s been more prevalent over the last couple years, to the point where I cut down my wine drinking. Thankfully NONE of that flavor was in the bottle I tried.
@Jamileigh17 @losthighwayz yeah I tend to be OK with older vintages especially for varietals or blends like these. And have to say you had me at “acid and gravel” (maybe not a lot of folks would say, “Oooh, just what I like!” But… Yes)
@losthighwayz yeah, I’d say close to it. I smell the green fruit, then taste it, hit with acid and finsh gravel
Sounds great - where’s the winery input?
@tercerowines Laying low – they heard there’s a band of angry Midwesterners who would like a word…
@InFrom @tercerowines
This looks like the most interesting offer in a long time and no shipping to Indiana.
@kookie00 I think the whole midwest is left out.
@kookie00 @marjoryk seems tragic. They are the ones that need it most!
Self-imposed wine buying moratorium (SIWBM) FAIL.
/giphy goodhearted-astute-scallion
@pmarin But for my SIWBM (Smell IWMB, or the lack of S), I would be in on this.
@Mark_L yes also heard the legends of the SOIWBM but SO is not here so no danger clicking the buy button. SO will be here when it arrives so it will either be UPS guy in driveway or “we have to go to UPS store to pick up something” “What???” And it will go downhill from there.