Albariño, Martín Códax 2025 75cl
This is the wine that made Rías Baixas famous in Britain — Martín Códax's flagship Albariño, named after a 13th-century Galician troubadour and made by a cooperative of growers who quite literally farm with the tide. It is the definitive introduction to Spain's great Atlantic white.
Val do Salnés sits right on the Galician coast, cool and rain-washed, and Albariño thrives on the salt air and granite soils. Martín Códax ferment this in stainless steel to keep everything pure and fresh — no oak, nothing to blur the fruit or the sea-spray character that defines the style.
Pour it and you get a bright, fragrant glass: green apple and peach on the nose, a squeeze of lemon, a floral, faintly nutty lift. The palate is light and precise — pear, ripe apple, a dash of stone fruit and that unmistakable saline tang, all held by clean, bright acidity that keeps you coming back. The finish is fresh and lip-smacking. Uncomplicated in the best sense, and genuinely refreshing.
This is a house-pour Albariño — the bottle for a warm evening, a plate of shellfish, or simply drinking on its own while the sun is out. At around £17 it is dependable, well-made and priced exactly right for everyday drinking.
How to Serve
Serve properly cold, 7–10°C, in a standard white-wine glass. No decanting; drink it as young and fresh as you can find it.
Where to Drink It
J Sheekey for oysters and this in hand. Scott's in Mayfair for the seafood platter. Dandy on Maltby Street for a relaxed glass.
Food Pairings
Albariño and shellfish is one of wine's great certainties — think grilled prawns, clams, or a dozen oysters. It is also lovely with fried calamari, the acidity cutting straight through.
