Ideas Etéreas Albillo Criollo 2023 White

During the 2025 harvest in La Palma, Albillo Criollo overtook all other varieties —there are more than 20 authorised in the DO— for the first time, accounting for 154,418 kg out of a total harvest of 696,631.

Thanks to its good acidity and distinctive stone fruit aromas, the variety is becoming increasingly popular across the Canary Islands. We tasted numerous examples from different areas of Tenerife during the Island Wine Summit last June. However, Albillo Criollo has particularly strong ties to La Palma, where the first single-varietal wines were produced. It thrives in the northern sub-region, home to the island’s higher-elevation vineyards, up to 1,400 m above sea level.

Although the prevailing style is for young and crisp, there is growing interest in producing more complex wines. One of the most interesting we tasted duirng our trip to La Palma this summer was Ideas Etéreas, which explores the ageing potential of the variety through fermentation and 18 months’ ageing in lightly toasted 500-litre barrels.

The winemaker behind the wine is Patricia Perdomo, who took over the family winery in Garafía alongside her sister Lucía in 2018. They have retained the range of young wines produced by their father and uncle under the Piedra Jurada brand, but in recent years Patricia has also explored many new possibilities , including a range bearing her name and consisting of two field blends – one white and one red – that draw on traditional winemaking methods, with fermentation in open vats and no temperature control.

The Ideas Etéreas range, of which this Albillo is part, embraces the specific characteristics of each vintage. The 2017 release was made with less time in oak, while in 2018 the focus was on skin contact. It will not be marketed again until the 2026 vintage, provided the ongoing harvest progresses as expected.

The grapes are sourced from Briestas, home to the winery's coolest plot and the last to be harvested, even after the red varieties. “The acidity is preserved very well because of the thermal range, and it can be difficult to reach 12% abv. Albillo Criollo, on the other hand, is very sensitive to sunlight,” Patricia explains.

She says the variety is deeply rooted in the northern part of the island, where it is regarded as a local hallmark: "It is grown, drunk and cherished here." In addition to its good acidity, Albillo Criollo can produce high yields of around 7,000 kg/ha without compromising quality. It even has its own training system: a partial trellis similar to a lyre that exposes a large canopy of leaves to the sun while keeping the bunches in the shade.

The great thing about Ideas Etéreas is the way it reveals how Albillo Criollo develops with age. It is a complex wine, combining citrus and stone fruit aromas with lees, while the palate is fresh and balanced, with well-integrated oak and a pleasant finish. This is the kind of wine that the island needs to raise its profile and attract the attention of wine lovers, while generating enough added value to help preserve a wine heritage exposed to extreme growing conditions. 

What sets Bodegas Perdomo apart is that its wines must be tasted in situ, because its philosophy is to sell locally on the islands, with 90% of its focus on La Palma itself.

12.5% abv.
600 bottles
20 € 
Score: 93