Albillo Criollo
The white grape of La Palma's high ground: a cross of Listán Blanco and Verdello, with peach, white flowers and real acidity.
Albillo Criollo is a Canarian variety with nothing to do with the albillos of mainland Spain, however alike the names sound. Genetic studies place it as a cross of Listán Blanco and Verdello, and today it’s grown mostly on La Palma, with a little on Tenerife and Gran Canaria. There is very little of it: only around 26 hectares registered in 2022.
On La Palma it grows in the north-west, above a thousand metres, in municipalities like Tijarafe, Puntagorda and Garafía. It gives aromatic, persistent wines with peach, tropical fruit, citrus and white flowers, and plenty of acidity, with the mineral, salty streak you get in volcanic whites. It often plays a supporting role in blends, and it’s the one that brings the perfume.
