2026 FAAA! - Albarino Juanico (750ml)

FAAA! Albariño is made by third generation winemaker Santiago Deicas, whose family came to South America from the Alpine town of Bormio, Italy. The Deicas family has made it a mission to show what Uruguayan Albariño can be, and the grape is now seen as one of the country's most exciting whites, outside its home in Galicia.

The wine comes from a single 12-acre vineyard in Juanico, in Canelones, about 25 kilometers from the Atlantic, where the Deicas family first planted Albariño in 2009. Maritime breezes and a temperate climate allow slow ripening, building natural acidity and salinity. Vines root in dark illite clay with calcium carbonate and tiny gypsum crystals. The winemaking is straightforward, with a seven-day fermentation in stainless steel followed by about five months of aging on the lees. The 2026 vintage finishes at 12 percent alcohol and is bottled under screw cap.

Fresh apricot, honeydew melon, white peach, and spring flowers rise from the glass, brightened by lemon zest. The medium-bodied palate is crisp and refreshing, with lively acidity and a mineral backbone that finishes with a salty edge.