2023 Cadre - Sea Queen Albarino (750ml)

Cadre Wines is the label of John and Lucy Niven, devoted to lively, mineral-driven white wines from California's Edna Valley. John is a third-generation vintner whose grandfather, Jack Niven, planted the historic Paragon Vineyard in 1973, and he helped bring Albariño and Grüner Veltliner to prominence in the state. The name refers to a small group banded together for a shared cause.

Sea Queen is 100 percent Albariño grown in Edna Valley, within the San Luis Obispo Coast appellation, where proximity to the Pacific and a protective line of coastal hills keep acidity bright. Growers compare the setting to the O Rosal subzone of Spain's Rías Baixas. The vineyards are certified sustainable, and the 2023 wine was made entirely in stainless steel to preserve freshness and natural salinity. It finishes at 13.2 percent alcohol.

Spicy citrus and salty zest open the nose, joined by orange blossom, jasmine, and a papaya note reminiscent of tropical fruit with a squeeze of lime. The palate is energetic and tangy, with ripe peach, pear, and melon over a wet-stone backbone. A briny, mineral finish carries the ocean influence through to the last sip.