Albillo

Albillo is a white Spanish wine grape variety that comes in different strains, the most common being Albillo Real, also known as Albillo de Madrid, grown in Madrid and in Ávila, Salamanca and Zamora. The second most important is Albillo Mayor, planted in the Ribera del Duero region and  in the Castille-León provinces of Burgos, Segovia and Valladolid. Further north, in Asturias, what is known as Albillo is really Chasselas Blanc The grape is an early-ripening (mid-August), pale-skinned, with small, round berries, delicate flavours, subtle floral aromas, low acidity and high viscosity, yielding full bodied wines. It is an authorized variety in the Ribera del Duero region and one of the main varieties in the Vinos de Madrid DO. Historically, Albillo contributed texture and smoothness to the red wines of the Meseta – a role similar to that of Viognier in Côte Rôtie. A small plot is still cultivated at Vega Sicilia, but total plantings have decreased over the past few decades as growers turned to international varietals. Some growers have successfully experimented with mono-varietal expressions, producing mineral, fresh wines.