2023 Mythical 'Moura' Uptown Ranch Albariño

Happy Sunday Ops!

Are you ready for something utterly BEGUILING?! That's the precise word to use. Well, that and "Mythical" perhaps.

Made at Perliss, Mythical is back with an absolutely gorgeous 94 pointer for just $25. QPR through the roof here!

Their first mountain red was something special, too. But "Moura", the Mythical white, is truly unique in that we don't get many great Albariño our way - but this one charmed our socks right off.

First, Albariño! If you’re looking for whites to discover and have yet to fall in love with this Iberian treasure, get in line.

Herbert Perliss purchased their Calistoga property 35 years ago, and, with Aaron’s help, he planted a minuscule 2.6-acre vineyard to power their wines. With such a small vineyard to source their estate wines from, Perliss Estate has expanded that vision under the direction of Herbert’s son, Anthony. Together, he and Aaron created the Mythical label to expand beyond their estate confines. They make just 2 wines - the Cab that has joined our short list of recent top-sellers, and this lovely Albariño.

In the Portuguese/Galician dialects, Moura refers to mythical, enchanted women in Iberian folklore, and that name could not suit this wine better. The New York Times explains the two faces of Albariño, it can make either “a popular commodity wine: cheap, aromatic, easy to drink and forget” or SERIOUS interpretations from top winemakers that are “relatively expensive for Albariño, roughly $50 a bottle, if you can find them, made in tiny quantities and snapped up.” Bingo, Mr. Asimov, the latter style can be found in Lodi! This puts many great whites triple the price to shame. You MUST experience it to believe.

The quality here is hardly a surprise, since it comes with the Perliss namesake. Theirs are wines you “obtain” rather than buy. Hard to get, extremely limited in production, and pricey. Aaron Pott is a huge reason for their success. Per Forbes, “In the world of winemaking, where passion meets precision, few names carry as much weight as Aaron Pott.” Known for his plush, sumptuous, expressive wines made under Greer, Seven Stones, Blackbird, and his own, he’s quite simply one of the best in the game. And making lesser-known varietals shine is one of his lesser-known superpowers!

For those in the know, finding ANY Pott-made small production gems is a prize. For this price? Rare as a giant pearl for little money. Believable as other myths like Medusa, King Midas, and the Minotaur…

Severely crushable and highly limited.

94 Points – The Wine Palate “The 2023 Moura Albarino is made entirely in Tuscan terracotta. It comes tearing out of the glass with bright, pure notes of fresh pears and persimmons, followed by hints of aniseed and honeysuckle with a touch of chalk dust. The medium-bodied palate is lively and silky with wonderfully defined orchard fruit flavors and a honey-kissed finish. Drink 2025-2029.”