Rias Baixas: Albariño and More by International Wine Review

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Rías Baixas: Albariño and More

Albariño Growing on Pergola

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Our goal in this report is to provide readers with an in-depth look at the wines of Rías Baixas. We begin the report with a brief history of the region and the Albariño grape. Next we look at where Albariño is grown in the Rías Baixas region of Galicia. Bordered by the Atlantic to the west and the Miño River and Portugal to the south, the Rías Baixas section of the Spanish coast has numerous fjord-like estuaries (called Rías) that allow the cold Atlantic tidal waters to run deep inland, creating the coolest and wettest growing region of Spain. The estuaries and coastal Atlantic are also the source of a rich supply of seafood, which pairs beautifully with the crisp Albariño and its mineral-saline character. We explore some of the local dishes and how they complement the wines.

Table of Contents Introduction Acknowledgements A Short History of Rías Baixas Albariño: The Grape Climate and Geography Viticulture Winemaking The Wines

While all of Rías Baixas is heavily influenced by the cold waters of the Atlantic, there are distinct differences in climate and soils with the region that gives different expressions to the grape and the wine. The wines vary depending on the subzone, but winemaking also makes a difference, and we examine differing practices among the region’s winemakers. For this report, we tasted almost 100 wines, most of which are exported to the US. In the final section of the report we provide profiles of the producers and evaluate their wines.

Food & Wine in Rías Baixas Winery Profiles & Tasting Notes Annex I Principal Grape Varieties

Introduction The wines of Rías Baixas are perhaps Spain’s finest white wines. Primarily sourced from the Albariño grape, the wines are widely recognized for their special aromas and flavors and their crisp acidity. Until relatively recently, Albariño was unknown outside Galicia, but since its introduction to the rest of the world in the early 1990s, the wine has rapidly grown in popularity. Today, about onethird of the Rías Baixas production is exported abroad.

About 110 of the DO’s 178 wineries export to 70 different countries, and unlike many other wine regions all exported wines are bottled. Sales in America and elsewhere have grown—the US is the single largest importer, representing 33 percent of total wine exports.

Acknowledgements. We owe a debt of gratitude to many for helping us write this report. The Consejo Regulador of Rías Baixas was very supportive in providing information and in helping us communicate with wineries. Special thanks go to the President, Juan Gil de Araujo, and marketing specialist Rosa Martínez.

Thanks also go to all the wineries that provided samples and technical information. A special thanks goes to the Martín Códax winery and, especially, viticulturist Miguel Tubio, for providing information on research and practices in viticulture. We also thank the American public relations firm Colangelo for facilitating the collection and delivery of samples of Rías Baixas wines. Finally, we thank Andrew Holod for his many contributions to this report.

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GAL RIAS Top Producers Top Producers of Rías Baixas* Aquitania As Laxas Do Ferreiro Palacio de Fefiñanes Fento Fillaboa Forjas del Salnés Granbazán (Agro de Bazán) Gran Vinum La Caña Lagar de Fornelos (Cervera) Maior de Mendoza Marqués de Vizhoja Martín Códax Morgadío Pazo de Barrantes Pazo de Lusco Pazo de Señorans Pazo Pondal Quinta Couselo Raúl Pérez Rodrigo Méndez Santiago Ruíz Valminor Zarate *Producers with at least one wine scoring 92 or above.

Rias Baixas Top Scoring Wines Forjas del Salnés 2018 Albariño Leirana Genoveva ($54) 97 Do Ferreiro 2018 Albariño Cepas Vellas ($55) 96 Zarate 2019 El Palomar ($50) 96 Bodegas del Palacio de Fefiñanes 2016 Albariño De Fefiñanes III Año ($71) 95 Zarate 2018 Albariño Tras da Viña ($26) 95 Do Ferreiro 2018 Adina Selección de Fincas ($50) 95 Pazo de Señorans 2011 Selección de Añada ($59) 95 Forjas del Salnés 2019 Leirana Albariño ($32) 94 Pazo de Barrantes 2016 La Comtesse ($65) 94 Agro de Bazán 2015 Granbazán Don Alvaro De Bazán Albariño ($42) 95 Forjas del Salnés 2018 Cos Pés ($52) 94 Bodegas La Caña 2017 Navia Albariño ($30) 94 Rodrigo Méndez 2019 Cies ($40) 94

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stainless steel, most Albariño was fermented and aged on the lees in large chestnut or Galician oak barrels, a tradition some of today’s winemakers are reviving.

A Short History of Rías Baixas

The Traditional Hórreo (elevated barn) at Pazo de Señorans

The 12th Century Cistercian Monasterio de Armenteira in Salnés

Visitors to Galicia are surprised how different it looks from the rest of Spain. Not only is it cool, wet and green, the culture is different, too. Galicians take pride in their language (Gallego, which is closer to Portuguese than Spanish) and their Celtic origins and traditions, including playing the gaeta, a form of bagpipe. The Rías Baixas portion of Galicia is near the Atlantic, which heavily influences the region’s cuisine as well as its climate. The abundant seafood is the perfect food companion to the region’s most popular grape and wine, Albariño.

Albariño was recognized as a quality grape early on, and Ernesto Zarate began the first Fiesta de Albarino in Cambados in 1953. There were very few commercial producers at the time, including Zarate and Fefiñanes, and most wine in Rías Baixas was consumed locally.

Even by the time the Denominación de Orígen (DO) was created in 1988, only fourteen wineries existed. Two events provided the catalyst for the explosive growth that followed. First, Spain joined the European Union, opening markets for Spanish wine. Second, Albariño wines were introduced to Spain and the rest of the world and received a warm reception. In 1990, Jorge Ordoñez imported the first Albariño to the US. The resulting boom in Albariño sales made the US the most important export market for Rías Baixas; it remains so today. The number of wineries has grown from 14 in the mid-1980s to 178 today; the vineyard has grown from 237 to 4,043 hectares (ha); and wine production grew from 3.2 million liters in 1990 to 22.2 million liters in 2019 (see graph). Plantings grew rapidly after the creation of the DO but have remained relatively stable over the last decade or more.

The region’s first winemakers were the Romans, and the remains of stone lagares used for pressing and fermenting wine can be found throughout Galicia. However, it was Cistercian monks arriving from France in the 12th century who introduced more refined winemaking. With the Spanish government’s confiscation of monastic properties in the 1830s, the vineyards were privatized. And, later in the 19th century, the arrival of mildew and phylloxera from America devastated the vineyards. With the replanting of vineyards, Albariño became the region’s star, gradually replacing the red varieties that were more common in prephylloxera times.

The rapid growth in vineyards and production led to complaints that Albariño wine had become commercialized and homogenized with producers using grapes from high yielding, young vines and using the same commercial yeasts and production methods to make similar-tasting wines. But quality-oriented producers continued to make wines from older, low yielding vineyards and used ambient yeasts and aging on the lees to produce distinctive wines. Today, these traditional techniques are widespread and used by most of the producers whose wines were tasted for this report.

Never conquered or occupied, Galicia has been home to small farms and tiny villages for time immemorial. Until recently, viticulture in Rías Baixas was part of a subsistence economy with small landholdings and the need to grow other crops as well. Small farmers often planted their vines on the margins of fields where they grew up into the trees.

There’s a long history of growing grapes to make wine for household use and selling the excess to local restaurants.

Real commercial winemaking has a much shorter history. A multitude of tiny vineyards made commercialization of wine difficult as growers lacked the size and economies of scale to produce and market their wines.

Traditionally, wine was made as it was in nearby Portugal with pressing done in a stone lagar. Before the advent of

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de Cáceres (Deusa Nai), Marqués de Vargas (Pazo San Mauro), LAN (Santiago Ruíz), La Rioja Alta (Lagar de Cervera), Marqués de Murrieta (Pazo de Barrantes), Freixenet (Pazo Baión), Grupo Masaveu (Fillaboa), Ramón Bilbao/Zamora (Mar de Frades), Baigorri (Gran Bazán), Bodegas Muriel (Pazo Cilleiro), González Byass (Pazo de Lusco) and, most recently, in 2017, Familia Torres purchased a walled estate with 40 year old vines.

Albariño: The Grape

As important as the opening of markets was the arrival of grower cooperatives in Rías Baixas. The predominance of tiny vineyard parcels in Rías Baixas means few growers have the scale to produce and market their own wine.

Cooperatives have thus played a crucial role in making and selling wines. They’ve also played an important role in providing technical assistance to growers with the goal of producing better fruit and wines. All of Rías Baixa’s important cooperatives were formed in recent years: Martín Códax (1986), Condes de Albarei (1988), Bodegas Eidosela (2003), Cooperativa Vitivinicola Arousana (2005) and Vina Moraima (2006).

While the origins of Albariño are unknown, it most likely originated in Northwest Spain. The grape was first written about in the 19th century, although the region has a very long history of making wines that most likely included Albariño. Albariño’s ancestral home in Spain is the Rías Baixas subzone Val do Salnés, which is still the grape’s most important growing region. While most Albariño is grown in Rías Baixas, its use is permitted in all of the Galician DO’s.

Martín Códax The largest single producer in Riax Baixas and one of the most progressive and modern cooperatives in Spain, Martín Códax was founded in 1986 by a group of 50 local farmers. Today it has over 600 family members farming 2,500 vineyard parcels covering 475 ha and exports its products to over 40 countries. While it produced just over 100 thousand liters of wine at its founding, today it makes close to 5 million liters. The cooperative is named after the 13th century Galician composer and performer Martín Códax. His works are published in the Pergaminho Vindel (Vindel Parchment), now at New York’s Morgan Library & Museum. In recent years, the Martín Códax coop has ventured beyond Rías Baixas and purchased wineries in Bierzo, Monterrei and Rioja. It also maintains an experimental vineyard (Pé Redondo), supports research (e.g., Albariño on modern vs. traditional trellising) and collaborates with the Misión Biológica de Galicia and the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid in the study of other grape varieties. Martín Códax has also been experimental in its winemaking, creating different styles of Albariño (e.g., with a high percentage of botrytisized grapes, extended lees contact, and blends with other indigenous varieties). Under the leadership of winemaker Katia Alvarez, viticulturist Miguel Tubio, and CEO Juan Vázquez Gancedo, Martín Códax has demonstrated that growth in volume does not come at the expense of improved quality.

Albariño produces small bunches (about 120-140g) of medium sized, thick-skinned, yellow-green grapes.

Thick skin plus relatively large seeds result in moderate juice, about 600ml per kilo of grapes. It blooms early but has a long growing season. It’s a vigorous vine that can easily produce ten to twelve tons per hectare, although high quality Albariño is typically harvested from vineyards yielding about half that amount. Albariño is also morphologically diverse, usually an indicator of an ancient grape variety.

Albariño is sensitive to downy and powdery mildews and prone to botrytis. Its thick skins provides some protection against the region’s high humidity and also contribute flavor compounds and phenols. When grown in sandy soils Albariño is resistant to phylloxera. The roots prefer to not be waterlogged, a challenge given the region’s high rainfall, so well-draining soils are a must. Sandy, granitic soils are excellent for it.

Traditionally, new Albariño vineyards have been planted using massal selection or an ancient method called marcottage where a branch from a neighboring plant is buried under the ground and then cut when the buried branch begins forming its own roots. Recently, the first certified, virus-free clones with higher quality fruit and better disease resistance were identified and released for sale [see box]. However, massal selection remains the

The growing popularity of Albariño has led to Spanish wineries outside the region (especially from Rioja) buying properties in Rías Baixas in order to have this attractive white wine in their portfolio. Among the buyers: Marqués

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predominant means of planting and replanting vineyards.

sea. It begins just north of the Miño River, south of which lies Portugal’s Vinho Verde region, another important producer of Albariño.

Albariño Clonal Research The Misión Biológica de Galicia recently completed a 52 year exercise to identify the best historic clones of Albariño1. The research team, led by biologist Carmen Martínez, first interviewed growers to identify the oldest vines in Galicia. They located about fifty 200-300 year old vines and monitored them over time. Eventually, they identified the eleven best vines in terms of disease resistance and fruit quality, and in 1993 they planted cuttings from those vines in collaboration with the Terras Gauda winery2. By 2008 they had enough evidence to certify five of the eleven candidates, Spain’s first certified clones of Albariño. In 2012 the Misión Biológica entered into an agreement with the nursery Viveros Provedo S.A. to bring the certified clones to market. Today, Terras Gauda and other growers are slowly replanting vines with these clones.

Rías Baixas is comprised of five subzones with relatively low elevation (<300m) and varying degrees of exposure to the Atlantic. While the climate thus varies by subzone, in general rainfall is high and temperatures are moderate.

Average rainfall is about 1,600 mm (70 inches), and the average growing temperature is just over 17°C (62°F).

The diurnal shift in temperature is small—about 5°-8°C (10°-15°F) difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures.

In contrast to warmer climate regions where winemakers fight to retain acidity, in Rías Baixas the challenge is to ripen fruit enough to balance its natural acidity. Long periods of sunshine close to harvest are essential, while lower vineyard yields and old vines also help. The DO permits yields of 12 thousand kg/ha (5.5 tons/acre), but lower yields are often required to produce balanced wines3.

Like elsewhere, the climate is changing in Rías Baixas.

Spring and summer temperatures are rising, and spring rainfalls are increasing4. The net result so far has been largely positive. Winemaker Cristina Mantilla says, “Twenty-five years ago we were getting wines with 10% alcohol and 12g of acidity. Now we’re getting 12% alcohol and 9-10 g of acidity.”5 Miguel Tubio says that the traditional mid-September harvest date has moved to late August or the beginning of September in his two decades as viticulturist at Martín Códax.

Climate and Geography

Climate research predicts continued warming of the area with lower precipitation, which may allow the introduction of new grape varieties6. In anticipation of a warmer future, the winery Mar de Frades in the Val do Salnés is experimenting by planting three clones of Godello.

Other growers are moving to higher altitudes where that’s possible (e.g., Condado do Tea), changing vineyards to a northly orientation, and introducing irrigation during hot, dry periods.

Rías Baixas means lower estuaries in Gallego, and the map shows the important estuaries and rivers that define the principal growing regions. Rías Baixas is one of the five D.O.’s in Galicia, and it’s the one located closest to the

The Consejo Regulador increased permitted yields of Albariño from 11 thousand to 12 thousand kg/ha in 2009 as a result of improved grape quality due to better farming practices. Each grower is annually told the maximum production allowed for his/her vineyard.

4 Gomez-Gesteira et.al. (2011) “The State of Climate in North-West Iberia,” Clim Res. 5 Decanter (2014), Rías Baixas Grows Up. 6 M.N. Lorenzo, J.J. Taboada, J.F. Lorenzo, and A.M. Ramos (2012) “Influence of climate on grape production and wine quality in the Rías Baixas, Northwestern Spain,” Reg Environ Change.

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El País, Carmen Martínez, La Maga de las Cepas Centenarías, November 19, 2017.

2 Misión Biológica de Galicia and Bodegas Terras Gauda (2007) Characteristics of Grapevine Albariño Clones Resulting from Two Clonal Selections, Horticultural Science.

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The Subzones

Condado do Tea

The five subzones are, in order of size of plantings, Val do Salnés, Condado de Tea, O Rosal, Ribeira do Ulla, and Soutomaior. The three largest subzones account for 95 percent of grape production and are the only ones allowed to put the subzone name on the label of wines produced in those regions. These three subzones are also the ones included in the DO when it was first created in 1988.

Morgadío’s Vineyard on the Miño River

Located inland along the Miño River is Condado do Tea, the second largest (22%) in terms of production. It’s named after the Tea River, a tributary of the Miño, which bisects the subzone. It’s the furthest from the sea and also has the highest elevation (rising to one thousand meters) and terraced vineyards, most using the pergola, of weathered sandy granite soils with relatively high clay and mica content that look over the river. It’s also the warmest and driest of the Rías Biaxas subzones with the earliest harvest.

The warmer, drier climate leads to earlier maturity and gives the wines a riper, tropical and fleshy character with a bit lower acidity. Most wines are blends, and the Treixadura grape is relatively common.

Val do Salnés

Several of the outstanding wineries of Condado do Tea are located in or near the village of Arbo, including As Laxas, Eidosela, amd Marques de Vizhoja.

O Rosal

Located northwest of the city of Pontevedra and sandwiched between the Ria de Arousa and the Ria de Pontevedra, the Val do Salnés is the oldest growing region and the largest in terms of production (64% of total) as well as being the dampest. Its name is derived from the salt pans (salinas) that were especially valuable in the Middle Ages. The vineyards are tiny, just 0.58 ha on average, and planted on gently rolling hills under 100m in elevation. Indeed, some are nearly at sea level with ocean mist falling on the vines. The soils are complex, composed of sand, granite, quartz, chalk, clay and schist. The wines are intensely mineral and have a telltale saline finish that reminds one of the nearby sea. They also can show notes of lemon-lime, fresh herbs, green apple, and fennel.

The Altos de Torona Vineyard in O Rosal

Located on the Ria de Miño across from Portugal lies O Rosal, which has about 600 ha of vines and accounts for 9 percent of total Rías Baixas production. While it lies close to the sea, the maritime influence is reduced by a coastal mountain range. The soils are chalky. The wines are usually blends of grapes and include floral and fruit notes of grapefruit, lemon and lime, and even a touch of underbrush. Vineyards and wineries are larger than in

Val do Salnés is home to the parra, or pergola, which provides good air flow and helps ameliorate the risk of humidity-related diseases. This subzone is also home to the oldest vines of Rías Baixas. Cambados is the main city of the region.

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plantings with 272 thousand kilos of grapes produced in 2019. For purposes of comparison, in 2019 over 31 million kilos of Albariño were harvested.

Val do Salnés. It includes several important wineries like Santiago Ruiz, Valmiñor and Altos de Torona, the largest vineyard of O Rosal. Red grapes represent about 10 percent of plantings, especially the indigenous Castañal.

Red varieties were widely grown in Rías Baixas in prephylloxera times, and today there’s a resurgence of interest in them, especially in the very old vine parcels that have survived time and the popularity of Albariño. The most important red varieties are Caiño Tinto, Espadeiro, Loureira Tinta, Sousón, Mencía, Brancellao, and Pedral. In addition, a tiny amount of a variety called Castañal is grown.

Other Regions Ribeira do Ulla and Soutomaior are the two most recent additions to the Rías Baixas DO. Added to the DO in the year 2000, the Ribeira do Ulla lies inland on the Ulla River. It has large vineyard parcels but few wineries, the largest being Castrobrey. Soutomaior is a tiny subregion located on the sea with just three wineries; it was added in 1996.

The rapid growth in plantings of Albariño since the creation of the DO means most of the vineyards are under 25 years of age. However, there are small parcels of very old vines and some rare parcels of pre-phylloxera vines planted in sandy soils not hospitable to the pest. These are some of the oldest, ungrafted vitis vinifera plantings in the world7. They’re also extremely lucky survivors as low yielding old vines are usually ripped out in favor of more productive younger vines.

Barbanza e Iria, located along the Arousa River, is not within the Rías Baixas boundaries, but it’s adjacent to Salnés. Its Albariños are sold as VdT (Vino de la Tierra) and have a good reputation. Like the Val do Salnés, vines are planted with pergolas near the water.

Old vines can help provide concentrated fruit with impressive depth of flavor in Albariño wines. Among the examples of old vine Albariño are (vine age in parentheses): Raul Perez Atalier (150 years), Rodri Méndez Finca Genoveva (158 years), Forjas del Salnés Leirana Albariño (70 years), Zarate’s El Palomar (170 years) and the Do Ferreiro Cepas Vellas (200 years). In addition to old vine Albariño, there are also very old parcels of other varieties.

Viticulture

Do Ferreiro’s Cepas Vellas Reputedly planted in 1785, this one hectare plot of 200+ year old vines is on a hillside vineyard with sandy granitic soils.

Centuries ago, it was a granite quarry. It’s a site with a lot of fog, which contributes to the salinity of the wine. These ancient pergola trained vines are directly in front of Gerardo Mendez’ winery in Meaño.

Grapes have grown in Rías Baixas for centuries, mostly for family consumption. The system of inheritance wherein land is divided among descendants has resulted in a very large number of tiny vineyards. Rías Baixas has about 4 thousand hectares of vineyards divided into 22 thousand plots worked by over 5 thousand different growers making the average vineyard parcel just 0.2 ha in size. The average grower has just 0.75 ha of vines.

Cultivation Traditionally, Albariño was grown on a pergola system, and in the Val do Salnés a very high percentage (95%) of vines are still grown this way. A high percentage (60%) of vines are also grown on pergola in Condado do Tea. Vines are trained on a wire trellis, or parra, about two meters above the ground supported by granite posts with bunches of grapes hanging below. The trellis is covered in leaves that protect the grape bunches from the sun, while the open space below facilitates airflow to lower the high humidity and protect the grapes from mildew and rot.

The Grapes The Rías Baixas DO allows both white and red varieties to be grown, but white wines make up almost all (99%) the production, and Albariño represents about 96 percent of total white wine production. Several white varieties are grown for blending with Albariño. While red wine production remains tiny, it is increasing and commands growing attention from the Spanish and international press.

Descriptions of the principal white and red varieties are given in the Annex.

While the hand-cultivated pergola is still common place, new plantings are often trained on wires to permit

Aside from Albariño, the principal white varieties grown in Rías Baixas are Loureira Blanca, Treixadura, Caiño Blanco, Godello and Torrontés. Caiño Blanco has the largest

In carrying out the Misión Biológica de Galicia clonal research noted earlier, the authors found more than forty 200-300 year old specimens of Albariño vines.

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Vintages

mechanization, especially in the area with the largest, newest vineyards, O Rosal. In planting its O Rosal vineyard, Lagar de Fornelos opted for trellises to permit mechanization and minimize the use of pesticides. The silvo planting method, a variant of the Geneva doublecurtain, which permits denser planting, is growing in popularity in O Rosal and Condado do Tea. Emilio Rodriguez of Terras Gauda says that because the grapes get more sun, wires result in less acidity and more alcohol compared to pergola.

Each vintage the Consejo Regulador reports the size of the harvest (in millions of kilos) and an estimate of its average quality, which over the last decade has ranged from Buena (in 2014) to Excelente (in 2016). Our reports on the vintages given below also draw, in part, from the annual reviews that the Familia Torres provides at its vineyards in the Val do Salnés.

2020 (34.2m kilos estimated in July) After a warm, wet winter and spring, bud break was early and successful, which with favorable weather conditions during the growing season led to a harvest larger than that of 2019.

Weather improved in August and September leading to a stress free harvest.

Organic and Sustainable The disease pressure (downey mildew, especially) of Rías Baixas’ cool, wet climate makes organic viticulture very challenging. Over the last decade or so, a few growers have begun to farm organically, but this requires a great deal of effort and many tractor passes.

2019 Muy Buena. (32.4m kilos) Budding was fast and uneven and led to poor fruit set, and windy weather and localized hail caused significant damage, all of which reduced the harvest 17% from that of 2018. The harvest was schizophrenic. The weather was dry and very hot in August and early September, resulting in grapes of very good quality, but then heavy rains came, leading to lower sugar and acid levels.

According to the Consejo Regulador de la Agricultura Ecológica de Galicia, only 18 wineries and 27 growers covering 82 hectares of vines are certified organic in all of Galicia. In Rías Baixas only the small Corsica winery is certified, although Pazo Pondal, located in the warmer, drier subzone of Condado do Tea is in the process of conversion to organic, and Gerardo Méndez at Do Ferreiro has followed organic practices for several years.

To our knowledge, only the Eladio Piñeiro winery follows biodynamic practices.

2018 Muy Buena (38.5m kilos) The year began with a cold, rainy spring with good budbreak but some disease pressure due to the humidity. But it dried out quickly in the summer, leading to especially healthy grapes. August was very dry and early September very hot, resulting in a very early harvest.

Given the disease pressure, sustainable viticulture (producción integrada) is more practical than organic in Rías Baixas. Bodegas Zarate has followed sustainable practices (e.g., no chemical herbicide use, permanent cover crops) for more than 25 years. Other wineries following sustainable practices in Rías Baixas include Bodegas Don Olegario and the Cooperativa Vitivinícola Arousana/Paco y Lola, which has 60 ha certified.

However, sustainable viticulture is still in an incipient stage in Rías Baixas and Galicia. Only an estimated 250 ha of vineyards are certified sustainable in all of Galicia according to the Estación de Viticultura y Enología de Galicia.

2017 Muy Buena (39.3m kilos) Rías Baixas missed the severe spring frosts that hit parts of Galicia especially hard. A warm, dry spring led to healthy flowering but was followed by a spring and summer without a drop of rain leading to both the absence of fungal disease and rapid ripening and a harvest more than two weeks earlier than normal. Although rainfall was lower and temperatures were higher than normal during the growing season, temperatures during harvest were slightly lower than normal. The wines are fresh with good levels of acidity.

2016 Excelente (33.3m kilos) A wet winter and cool spring was followed by a dry, hot summer, which reduced disease pressure, and light rain fell just before harvest, rehydrating the vines and ensuring a sizeable harvest.

The last time a harvest was given the classification of “excelente” was in 2007.

Research Rías Baixas wineries and Galician and Spanish research institutes carry out research on a wide variety of issues having to deal with growing grapes and making wine.

The leading institution in Rías Baixas is Martín Códax, which is one of the few wineries with the scale required to carry out a serious research program. Most of its research is carried out in collaboration with other wineries (e.g., Bodegas Torres, Juvé y Camps, Pago de Carraovejas) and research institutes (e.g., Misión Biológica de Galicia, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid) with three principal objectives: [1] raise the quality of grapes and wines, [2] deepen knowledge of grape varieties, especially Albariño, and [3] improve environmental sustainability. The program has included research on trellising systems, rootstocks, strategies to ameliorate the impacts of a warming climate, how wine characteristics vary with grape yields, feasibility of organic viticulture, and more.

Winemaking Most harvesting in Rías Baixas is done by hand. While compulsory for the pergola trained vines predominant in the Val do Salnés, it’s also common on the terraced vineyards in O Rosal and Condado do Tea. Harvest usually takes place between early September and early October, although the warming climate leads to earlier harvest dates. A few producers prefer to let grapes hang longer in order to obtain riper fruit and lower acidity, although that runs the risk of early autumn rains.

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Oak, Granite and Concrete Finally, the completed wine is aged in stainless steel or oak barrels or foudre. While old school winemaking fermented and aged in large foudres, today oak aging is still relatively uncommon except for special cuvées, and when done is usually under a year in neutral barrels. Of course, there’s a wide range of practice. Eulogio Pomares, winemaker at Zarate, makes a wine (Carralcoba) under his own label that’s fermented and aged in traditional, chestnut foudres. And Raul Pérez ferments and ages his Albariño in used French oak foudres. His goal is not to produce an oaky wine but to introduce oxygen slowly, rounding the edges. Fermenting and aging in oak often adds a smoky character to the wine along with a firmer structure.

Maceration with Dry Ice

After harvest, grapes are typically lightly crushed and destemmed. Increasingly in Rías Baixas, this is followed by a pre-fermentation, low temperature maceration with the skins, which helps extract the natural flavor compounds and prevents oxidation of the must. Adegas Galegas macerates with dry ice at -4°C for its Neve Carbónica Albariño (see photo). Cold maceration also increases the aromatic precursor compounds concentrated in and near the grape’s skin. The result is a fruitier, fuller wine with a higher pH. The cold maceration can last up to 24 hours, depending on the fruit. If grapes have been damaged by mold, the time is kept shorter. Large, commercial wineries may skip this stage for their entry level wines. After maceration, the grapes are pressed, and the juice is sent to ferment in stainless steel tanks. [Top cuvées like the Granbazán Etiqueta Ambar may only use the free run juice.] While not common, winemakers are experimenting with extending time on the skins and even fermenting with the skins [e.g., Rodri Méndez’ single vineyard Goliardo a Telleira].

Granite Eggs at Torres Pazo das Bruxas

Almost all fermentation of Albariño is reductive and takes place in stainless steel tanks. Smaller, quality-oriented producers and producers making special wines in limited volumes often use indigenous yeasts. Commercial yeasts are used if the winemaker seeks to emphasize certain characteristics, like floral or tropical aromas. Fermentation in barrel occurs infrequently and is usually only done with the fruit of old vines. The high malic acidity of Albariño grown in Rías Baixas means producers have often tried to reduce it, either by letting the grapes fully ripen (which is what Raul Perez does) or by doing partial (usually) or full malolactic fermentation. However, warmer temperatures reduce the levels of malic and other acids, so winemakers have been reducing the use of full malo as the climate warms.

Granite and concrete vessels are increasingly used to ferment and age wine. These materials maintain constant, cool temperatures without artificial cooling while at the same time allowing a small degree of micro-oxygenation.

These vessels take several forms. Torres recently began fermenting and aging Albariño in egg shaped granite vessels. Santiago Ruíz and Santiago Roman are also experimenting with granite tanks. Wines made in concrete are said to be more aromatic, while those in granite enhance minerality and salinity.

Almost all producers of high quality Albariño give the wine extended contact on the fine lees, usually with weekly or bi-weekly battonage. The amount of time sur lie ranges from two to six months, although it can be longer; the Fefiñanes III Año spends 7 months on the lees and another 24 months in tank before bottling, and the Pazo Señorans Selección Añada sees 30 months on the lees. The result of extended time on the lees is greater complexity and textural change, giving the wine a rounder, fuller character.

At the time of the creation of the Rías Baixas DO in 1988 there were just 14 commercial wineries; their winemakers blazed the trail for Albariño and Rías Baixas.

As the industry has grown, so, too, has the number of winemakers, most of whom were born in Galicia, and many of whom received their wine education at the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela. An increasing number also have winemaking experience in other parts of Spain and the New World.

Winemakers

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Compared to other wine regions of the world, there is a surprising number of women winemakers in Rías Baixas.

Traditionally, in Galicia, men fished at sea while women took care of the kids and worked as grape growers.

Perhaps this tradition explains the large number of women working in wine in Rías Baixas; they are in lead winemaking positions in about half the region’s wineries.

There are women winemakers at Martín Códax (Katia Alvarez), Fefiñanes (Cristina Mantilla), Mar de Frades (Paula Fandiño), Condes de Albarei (Lucia Carballeira), Bodegas Castro Martín (Angela Martín), Santiago Ruíz (Luisa Freire), Pazo de Señorans (Ana Quintela), Pazo Baión (Andrea Obenza), Pazo de San Mauro (Susana Pérez), and many more.

Luisa Freire has been the winemaker at Santiago Ruiz since 1999. Trained as a biologist, she learned winemaking on the job. Concerned about warming temperatures, she recently introduced the region’s first policy to pay grower by acidity as well as sugar levels in the grapes. She is also experimenting with granite fermentation tanks and makes an all Godello wine, one of the few in Rías Baixas.

Below we’ve listed some of the leading winemakers of Rías Baixas in order to illustrate the wide variety of their backgrounds and accomplishments.

Katia Alvarez leads the winemaking team at Martín Códax, the largest producer and largest cooperative in Rías Baixas. She received her first degree in Agricultural Engineering at the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela after which she received her Masters in winemaking at the Universidad de La Rioja. She has made wine in La Rioja, Chile and Galicia before joining Martín Códax in 2005 where she worked closely with master winemaker Luciano Amoedo.

Cristina Mantilla Cristina is one of the most experienced winemakers in Rías Baixas where she serves as enologist for Palacio de Fefiñanes, Adegas Valmiñor, and Pazo San Mauro. She trained as an organic chemist at the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela before receiving her Masters in viticulture and enology at the UPolitécnica de Madrid. She has worked as enologist at Fefiñanes since 1990. She’s currently studying to be a Master of Wine.

Gerardo Méndez created Do Ferreiro in 1973, but the first labeled, vintage wine didn’t appear until 1986. He and his father Francisco helped establish the D.O. in 1988.

More important, he began recovering old vineyards, farming them organically, and became an advocate of pergola training of Albariño. He used indigenous yeasts in fermentation before it became trendy. His uncompromising dedication to quality has inspired subsequent generations of growers and winemakers.

Luciano Amoedo, a 9th generation grower in Rías Baixas, is one of the founders of the Rías Baixas appellation and one of the founders of the Martín Códax winery and is active both in making wine and in governance of the appellation. He is a graduate in Agricultural Engineering with a specialization in Viticulture and Enology.

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Raúl Perez is one of Galicia’s most famous winemakers.

His family’s winery, Castro Ventosa, in Bierzo was established in 1752. Today he makes wines under his personal label Bodegas y Viñedos Raul Perez and also collaborates with other winemakers, like his friend Rodri Mendez, in making unique, original wines. In Rías Baixas he makes Albariños using the facilities of Forjas del Salnés.

Rodrigo Méndez, the nephew of Gerardo Méndez, is the winemaker at Forjas del Salnés, a protector of old vine Albariño in the Val do Salnés, and an inveterate explorer and experimenter. In addition to Forjas del Salnés where he makes a wide selection of wines (including single varietal red wines), he makes wines under his own label Rodrigo Méndez Bodegas y Viñedos. He also produces a single varietal Pinot Noir (El Barredo) with Raúl Pérez in Rías Baixas and a blend of Pinot Noir and Mencia in Bierzo. He also makes Finca Genoveva single vineyard wines from hundred-year old Albariño and red Caino vines.

Eulogio Pomares is the 7th generation to continue his family’s wine tradition at Zarate. After studying in Bordeaux and working and doing research in Germany, he took over his family’s vineyards in 2000. In 2012 he launched Fento Wines, his personal wine project outside Zarate. At Fento he sources wines from other subzones of Rías Baixas and from Ribeira Sacra. He is adventurous in his approach to winemaking, including making a field blend of 150+ year old vines in Ribeira Sacra, a 70 year old Caiño made in chestnut foudres, an orange wine macerated on the skins for two weeks, and many others.

He has been instrumental in the recovery of the region’s once dominant red varieties.

Juan Posada, the winemaker at Adegas Galegas since 2016, is an example of the growing number of young winemakers with international experience. A native of Rías Baixas, he earned a degree in Agricultural Engineering at the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela and a Masters in Enologia from the Universidad de La Rioja. He has worked at wineries in several countries: Caliterra in Chile, Spring Creek in New Zealand, Merry Edwards in the Russian River Valley, and Pulpit Rock in South Africa.

He now combines his international experience making white wine around the world with his understanding of the Albariño grape to his winemaking in Rías Baixas.

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The Wines

too early may show some bitterness on the finish. While its flavor profile varies by where the vines are grown, it tends to show straightforward citrus and herbal aromas and flavors with firm acidity. It’s usually fresh, vibrant and an excellent companion to raw oysters and other simply prepared seafood.

Most wineries offer one or more Albariños made from a selection of grapes, either from a single parcel or vineyard or from a mix of lower yielding parcels or medium aged, lower yielding vines. Almost always they also come from a single subzone, although that is seldom on the label.

These mid-level wines are typically made using a cold soak, ambient yeast fermentation, and aging on the lees in stainless steel. The wines offer more complexity of aromas and flavors and a richer, fuller texture compared to entry level wines. They can also reveal the terroir of the subzone when yields are kept low. Val do Salnés wines done in a classic style are very dry with a firm minerality, hints of salinity, and flavors of green apple and citrus.

Condado do Tea wines have less acidity, riper white stone fruit aromas and flavors and a round, full texture. O Rosal wines are more floral and feminine.

In the past, wine in Rías Baixas was designated by the village it come from8. Customers would request a glass of Meaño or Cambados or some other village it came from, meaning they recognized that wines differed depending on where they were grown. Today, the label on the bottle identifies the sources (subzone) of the grapes and tells the consumer which grape varieties are in the bottle. All grape varieties used must be those permitted by the DO; certain varieties have a “preferred” status. The labels most frequently found in the market place and permitted by the DO are the following:

Finally, many wineries offer a top cuvée made from the best fruit, typically from a single, older vineyard, that sees special treatment in the cellar: fermentation and maturation in small lots, sometimes in special vessels, extended time on the lees, and a period of cellaring after bottling. These wines usually express a particular terroir and often require some cellar time to show their best.

• Rías Baixas Albariño: must be 100% Albariño from any of the subzones.

• Rías Baixas: typically a white blend (although it can be a mono-varietal), but 70% of the grapes must be from “preferred” varieties—Albariño, Loureira, Treixadura, and Caiño Blanco.

• Rías Baixas Condado do Tea: All the fruit must come from this subzone, and 70% of it must be Albariño and/or Treixadura.

• Rías Baixas Rosal: All the fruit must be from O Rosal, and 70% of it must be Albariño and/or Loureira.

• Rías Baixas Salnés: Again, all the fruit must be from the Val do Salnés; 70% of the fruit must be Albariño.

• Rías Baixas Tinto: This may be made from any of the permitted red varieties in any proportions desired, and the grapes must come from any or all of the subzones.

Albariño Styles Rías Baixas Albariño comes in a variety of styles and price points. Most wineries offer more than one. A winery’s entry level Albariño is made from younger vines and/or high yielding vineyards and may see a short cold soak. It’s unlikely to spend extended time on the lees, and if bottled 8

Alex Russan, Albariño, WinemakerMag.com

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Food and Wine in Rías Baixas

supreme freshness of food from the sea requires very little preparation to make delicious meals. Pulpo a Gallega (Galician Octopus) is boiled octopus served on a wooden platter with olive oil and paprika. Caldeiradas (fish stews) include local fish—hake, sea bass, turbot—with onions, potatoes, and vinegar. The exotic and expensive barnacles called Percebes are simply boiled in seawater.

The popular tapa, Pimientos de Padrón, small dark green peppers, are simply fried in olive oil.

Calle de las Ostras

Food in Rías Baixas, at least in the areas located near the sea where most the people live, means seafood, which is the perfect pairing for Albariño. The ocean and the estuaries (rías) provide the livelihood for many of the region’s residents who fish and work in aquaculture. The largest of the estuaries, Ria de Arousa, is where most of the mussels are grown from large wooden platforms neatly arranged along the coast. The port of Vigo is the leading fishing port in Europe, but there are several other ports along the coast. Vigo is also home to the Calle de las Ostras where freshly harvested oysters are shucked and sold to tourists.

Yayo Daporta’s Pulpo

Rías Baixas also has fine restaurants that offer more intricately prepared fare. The most famous of these is the Michelin-starred Yayo Daporta in Cambados (see box).

And at the annual Festa da Langosta held in A Guarda, one can try a wide variety of local seafood recipes including Arroz Con Bogavante (lobster paella).

Yayo Daporta This Michelin starred restaurant is located in a converted 18th century royal hospital in Cambados and is reputedly the best in Rías Baixas. It was founded in 2005 by chef Yayo Daporta whose family cultivated seafood in the Ria de Arousa. The Michelin Guide says, “Interesting, creative and contemporary cuisine that is prepared and showcases local products and fish in particular.” The restaurant is also known for its extensive list of Galician wines, managed

by Yayo’s sommelier-sister, Esther.

Galician Razor Clams

In addition to mussels and oysters, Rías Baixas enjoys a wealth of other seafood like clams, razor clams, cockles, scallops, sea urchin, octopus and lobster. The

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Tetilla Cheese

Of course, Galicia is not all seafood. Empanadas, meat stews, veal and many other dishes grace the Galician table. Of particular interest are the cheeses often served at the end of the meal. The most common cheese of Rías Baixas and all of Galicia is the cow’s milk cheese called Queixo de Tetilla. It’s a soft, creamy clean-tasting cheese with a smooth, straw colored rind and is often served as dessert. It’s typically made from the milk of the Rubia Gallega cow, which produces small amounts of superior quality milk. Tetilla has had a Denominación de Origen certification since 1993. It’s usually paired with membrillo or chorizo and a glass of wine.

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Winery Profiles and Tasting Notes Agro de Bazán (Val do Salnés) Founded in 1981, Bodegas Granbazán is one of Rias Baixas’ quality pioneers. It’s located on the Finca Tremoedo in the Salnés valley just 3 km from Cambados with 14 ha of vineyards of diverse Albariño clones planted in granitic soils at varying elevations; the vineyard is divided into 10 parcels. Manuel Otero Candeira constructed the chateau Granbazán surrounded by pergola trained vines in the 1980s. In 2017 Bodegas Granbazán was bought by Pedro Martinez Hernández, proprietor of the Rioja estate Bodegas Baigorrí. The fruit is handpicked, gently destemmed, cold soaked, and fermented with native yeasts in stainless steel. The Chilean Diego Ríos was hired as enologist in 2019; he previously made wine at Montes in Chile and Domaine Drouhin in Oregon. US Importer: Europvin Don Winkler and Mike Potashnik, Co-Publishers

Agro de Bazán 2019 Granbazán Etiqueta Verde Albariño Rias Baixas (Valle del Salnés) ($20) 93 Juicy tropical and stone fruit show on an expressive nose. Full and round on the palate, picking up the stone fruit notes and adding nuances of tropical pineapple and mango on a lively, concentrated snd super clean, layered palate. A nicely delineated wine with an impressively long finish. Made from vines over 35 years of age, destemmed, cold soaked for 6-8 hours, fermented in stainless steel, aged on the lees without battonage. 13% alc. Agro de Bazán 2019 Granbazán Etiqueta Ambar Albariño Rias Baixas (Valle del Salnés) ($30) 94 The Etiqueta Ambar is a superbly balanced, elegant wine. It offers an effusive bouquet and a seriously fresh, concentrated, and mineral-laden palate.

While crisp and stony in character, it’s also beautifully delineated. Simply outstanding. Handpicked grapes from 35+ year old vines grown on traditional arbors; given 6-8 hours skin contact; made of free run juice and aged on the fine lees for 5 months, no oaking. 13% alc. Agro de Bazán 2015 Granbazán Don Alvaro De Bazán Albariño Rias Baixas (Val do Salnés) ($45) 95 Medium yellow gold.

Offering a vibrant, finely focused nose of citrus and stone fruit with nuances of spearmint and salty minerals, the Don Alvaro Albariño is one of the best wines tasted for this report. The palate is deeply flavored and complex with edgy acidity and rich breadth of texture. Ripe pineapple, mango, and nectarine flavors are complemented by stony mineral notes. Exceptionally persistent aftertaste. Made from 40 year old vines grown in a single parcel at the highest elevation of the Tremoedo Vineyard, given 12 hours skiing contact, then the free run juice is fermented at very low temperature and allowed to rest on the lees for 12 months.

In this section of the report we provide profiles of the most important wineries of Rias Baixas and tasting notes of their wines. Due to the pandemic and travel constraints, the wines were tasted at our offices in Washington DC. Wines were supplied by Rias Baixas wineries either directly or via their US importers.

The IWR rates wines using the 100 point system. We do not write up wines which receive a rating below 85 points.

The rating categories are as follows:

95-100

91-94

89-90

85-87

84-

A wine of distinction A wine of outstanding our superior quality A wine of good to excellent quality A wine of fair to good quality Not recommended

The tasting notes and ratings for these wines also appear in the IWR’s tasting notes database at www.iwinereview. com. When known, the suggested retail price and US importer are listed.

Granbazán Vineyard

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Altos de Torona (O Rosal) Located in Vilachán, Altos de Torona is the largest, contiguous vineyard in Rias Biaxas with 94 ha of vines on the slopes of Monte Galeno in Tomiño-O Rosal. Altos de Torona is farmed using sustainable practices. It’s one of the properties of HGA Bodegas.

This is one of the few sparkling Albariños produced in Rias Baixas. It has a leesy, frothy nose and a fresh, bright, fruity attack. A straightforward sparkler made in the style of a Cremant de Loire. Bodegas As Laxas 2019 Val do Sosego Albariño Rias Baixas 92 Clearly the best of the As Laxas Albariños, the Val do Sosego reveals an intricate nose of lemon, wet river stones, and an interesting herbal note. It’s quite linear and focused on the palate with good freshness and minerals coming in at the end of a long finish. Well done. 12.5% alc

Altos de Torona (O Rosal) 2019 Albariño 90 Showing floral and orchard fruit notes on the nose, this is a refreshing, perfumed wine in the O Rosal style. Pear, melon and hints of citrus show on a broad, soft palate.

Attis Bodegas y Viñedos (Val do Salnés) Attis was founded in 2000 by the Fariña family. The family owns 5 ha of vineyards and inaugurated a new winery in 2011. Attis makes a large number of labels, including several wines from indigenous red varieties. French enologist Jean François Herbrard provides winemaking advice. Attis has several US importers including Summit Selections in New York.

Bodegas Aquitania (Val do Salnés) Businessman M. Aquin, born in a small village of the region, purchased vineyards trained on pergolas in the Val do Salnés and founded this winery in the town of Salnés. The winemaker is Jose Manuel Amigo who has extensive experience in Rias Baixas and consults for several other wineries. US Importer: Regal Wine Aquitania 2018 Albariño Rias Baixas (Val do Salnés) ($25) 92 Floral with hints of herbs and honeysuckle on the nose. The palate has a firm backbone and dense flavors of Meyer lemon, orange pith, and a hint of nectarine.

Excellent stony persistence on the finish with lingering rich fruit extract. Outstanding Albariño. Kept on the fine lees for two months. 13.5% alc. Aquitania 2019 Bernon Albariño Rias Baixas ($20) 90 Light yellow straw. Showing fruity aromas of yellow stone fruit with light herbal accents.

Vibrant acidity shows on the attack with a round, full palate and rich flavors of peach and hints of lychee and quince. Made from handpicked grapes, destemmed, and cold fermented. 13% alc. Annual production about 38 thousand cases.

Attis 2019 Albariño Lías Finas Rias Baixas (Val do Salnes) 90 Medium yellow straw. Made from 50 year old vines and matured on the lees in oak foudres for 6 months, this wine shows honeyed ripe fruit on the nose and offers a full, creamy textured, spicy palate. There’s a touch of bitterness on the mid-palate, and it finishes very dry with a mineral edge and lingering dried fruit note. 13.5% alc.

Adegas Bouza do Rei (Val do Salnés) Established in 1983 in Ribaduma in the heart of the Salnés valley, the vineyards at Bouza do Rei are on small hills at less than 100 m above sea level. Since 1983 the vineyards have grown from 20 to 100 hectares. In addition to the regular bottling reviewed here, a Gran Selección bottle is also produced. Olivia Poutas is winemaker.

Annual production is 110 thousand cases. US Importer: Alphapac

Bodegas As Laxas (Condado do Tea) Located in the Miño River Valley in the village of Arbo, the As Laxas estate has been making wine since 1862. In 1974, the winery was renovated by the family of Simon Ferro.

The 50 ha vineyard is over 30 years old and planted on south-facing granite terraces at 500-650’. The winemaker is Jorge Dominguez Hervella. Total annual production of Laxas is 37 thousand cases, about 40% of which is exported. The winery’s second label Bágoa de Minho has an annual production of about 2 thousand cases. The winery also recently introduced a third label, Val do Sosego. About 60% of As Laxas’ grapes comes from estate vineyards. US Importer: Wine Bridge Imports

Bouza do Rei 2019 Albariño Rias Baixas (Salnes) ($12) 89 Dried grass and pear show on the nose of this very dry, stony mineral like wine.The palate shows up front, bay leaf accented lemon, finishing medium long with a lingering herbal note. 13% alc. 50 thousand cases of this wine are produced each year.

Chan de Rosas (Val do Salnés) The winemaker behind this brand is Marcos Lojo, a professor at the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela and Rias Baixas enologist for over two decades. Marcos sources grapes from 12 small growers with old vines (up to 70 years of age) near the Arousa estuary. He is part of the Premium Fincas group. The wines are fermented and aged in stainless steel vats with a minimum of 3 months on the lees with battonage. US Importer: La Luz Selections. T. Edward Wines

Bodegas As Laxas 2019 Bágoa do Miño Albariño Lagrima Rias Baixas ($25) 91 A fruit forward nose of juicy stone fruit and ripe citrus gives way to a crisp attack and full flavored, softly textured palate. Ripe, juicy tropical fruit is complemented by mouthwatering acidity. Finishes with good length. A selection of the best grapes from the O Pucha vineyard, softly pressed and carefully vinified. 1700 cases produced. 13% alc. Bodegas As Laxas 2019 Laxas Albariño Rias Baixas 90 Offering a floral bouquet with hints of lime zest and white peach, this Albariño is round and creamy on the palate with open notes of pear and chalky minerals. Finishes with good length and overall freshness. Made from purchased grapes. 12.5% alc.

Bodegas As Laxas NV Sensum Laxas Brut Rias Baixas 89

Chan de Rosas 2018 Cuvée Especial Albariño Rias Baixas 90 The Cuvée Especial begins with delicate aromas of white flowers, dried herbs, and pear. The palate is focused

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with nice mid palate weight, a mineral like texture, and savory flavors. Overall, not a showy wine but with a pleasing earthiness to it. From old vines planted prior to 1950 made with ambient yeast, stemmed and macerated for 12 hours followed by fermentation in stainless steel (94%) and 400L French oak (6%) for six months with battonage.

fruit of a single vineyard with vines of an average age of 30 years. 13.5% alc.

Bodegas Eidosela (Condado do Tea) Established in Condado de Tea by 61 growers in 2003, Eidosela has 60 ha of vines divided into small parcels of sandy granite soils planted to Albariño, Treixadura, and Loureira. Yields are very low, about 6 tons/ha.

Two meter high trellising helps promote air circulation and reduce the risk of fungus. Jorge Hervella is the winemaker. US Importer: T. Edward Wines, Valkyrie

Condes de Albarei (Val do Salnés) Founded in 1988 by a group of 362 growers in the Salnés Valley who joined together to make and market high quality Albariño. Together, they farm over 308 ha of vines, and all the wine produced is from estate vineyards; they are the second largest cooperative in Rias Baixas. Condes de Albarei makes a range of Albariño wines and also makes two red wines from indigenous varieties—Caiño and 100 year old Espadeiro. Only the winery’s flagship wine—Albariño—was tasted for this report.

Annual production is 250 thousand cases. US Importer: Cordelina Wine Co.

Eidosela 2019 Albariño Rias Baixas (Condado do Tea) ($16) 89 Appealing scents of honeysuckle, melon and pear introduce this fresh and vibrant Albariño. The palate is smooth and balanced with light tropical fruit notes and a touch of bitterness on the finish. A striaghtforward Albarino with good concentration. Eidosela 2019 Néboa Rias Baixas (Condado do Tea) 90 Showing lifted floral and spice scents on the nose, this is a lively, fresh Albariño with ripe orchard and citrus flavors and a firm acid backbone.

A straightforward, flavorful Albariño. Sourced in part from 75 year old vines grown in schist soils; fermented and aged on the lees in tank. [A collaboration between Valkyrie Selections and Eidosela.] 13% alc.

Condes de Albarei 2019 Albariño Rias Baixas ($14) 89 Opening with light scents of stone fruit complemented by fresh citrus, this flagship wine of Condes de Albarei is a straightforward style of Albariño. The flavors mimic the scents on a palate of medium concentration with bright acidity, finishing long with a pleasant extract that evokes minerals and citrus zest. 13% alc.

Adega Familiar Eladio Piñeiro (Val do Salnés) Eladio Piñeiro is best known for founding Bodegas Mar de Frades in 1983. He sold that winery (but not his best vineyards) and formed his eponymous winery in Vilgarcia de Arousa in the early 2000s. His Albariño is made with grapes cultivated using biodynamic practices, which he began using 8 years ago and is unique in Rias Baixas. Total production about 5 thousand cases. US importer: Think Global Wines, David Bowler Wine

Do Ferreiro (Val do Salnés) Founded by Gerardo Mendez in 1973, Do Ferreiro is one of the first commercial brands in Rias Baixas. He has 5 ha of vines up to 250 years old in 175 plots. Manuel Mendez has been winemaker since 2015. US Importer: De Maison Do Ferreiro 2018 Adina Selección de Fincas Rias Baixas (Val do Salnés) Salnes) ($50) 95 Beautiful floral perfume of jasmine and tangerine with saline notes. Stony minerals prominent on the attack followed by a dense, cleanly focused palate of impressive purity and freshness. Overall, refined and elegant with amazing minerality. 13.5% alc.

Do Ferreiro 2018 Albariño Cepas Vellas Rias Baixas (Val do Salnes) ($55) 96 The Cepas Vellas Albariño is made from what is reputedly the oldest vineyard in Baixas, planted in the late 18th century. It shows beautifully expressive ripe fruit, a silky, almost creamy, mouth feel, a weighty mid-palate, and a super fine texture. The wine is perfectly balanced with impressive clarity and stony/saline persistence. Made from 245 year old vines, given a 5 hour cold soak, fermented and aged 11 months on the lees in stainless steel.

Eladio Piñeiro 2019 Envidiacochina, Tête de Cuvée Rias Baixas (Val do Salnés) ($28) 92 A complex nose of stone fruit, citrus, and a hint of thyme leads to a full, flavorful and creamy palate that exudes a lemon curd flavor that persists on a rich, long finish with excellent balancing acidity. A delicious and unique Albariño. 100% Albariño from vines of an average 30 years of age, fermented with ambient yeasts in stainless steel and aged 6 months with weekly battonage, after which it is blended with 15% of Frore de Carme Albariño from the previous vintage. 13% alc. Eladio Piñeiro 2018 La Ola Rias Baixas (Val do Salnés) ($23) 91 Gold tinged yellow straw. Aromas of bay leaf, dried stone fruit, and chamomile. Rich, almost creamy, on a savory palate with notes of dried stone fruit and a melange of dried herbs. Firm acidity kicks in on the finish. 100% Albariño given a 8-10 hour cold soak, then fermented with ambient yeasts in stainless steel; 6 months aging on lees with weekly battonage.

Don Olegario (Val do Salnés) Olegario Falcón bought the La Finca vineyard in 1980 and started to produced wine under the name Don Olegario. The vineyard is about 95m above sea level with granite and sandy soil and 30 year old vines. It is certified sustainable (Producción Integrada). US Importer: Kobrand Don Olegario 2019 Albariño Rias Baixas ($20) 91 Showing a reticent stony nose with floral nuances. This is a super clean, polished wine with hints of pear and green apple on a crisp, nicely delineated palate. A straightforward, easy drinking Albariño. Made from the

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Fento (Condado de Tea) Founded in 2012, Fento is the personal joint venture of famed winemaker Eulogio Pomares of Bodegas Zarate and his wife Rebeca Montero. They produce a 100% Albariño as well as white and red blends of indigenous grapes. The farming is organic, and the 10-15 year old Albariño vines are trained pergola style. Annual production—3500 cases.

US Importer: La Luz Selections, Bonhomie Wine Imports

Forjas del Salnes 2018 Albariño Leirana Genoveva Rias Baixas ($54) 97 Showing an interesting, intricate nose of dusty herbs and orange and lemon zest, this Albariño from 150+ year old vines is an exceptional wine. The palate is complex, dense and seamless with opulent ripe citrus flavors and a. super elegant mouth feel. The finish is very long, rich and seamlessly integrated From vines planted in 1862; aged one year in old 25 hl foudre. 13% alc.

Forjas del Salnes 2018 Cos Pés Rias Baixas (Val do Salnes) ($52) 94 Pale amber. Extended skin contact completely changes the aromatic profile of Albariño. In this wine we find mandarin and herbal tea aromas. There’s still plenty of bright acidity, a chewy density, and complex citrusherbal flavors that linger exceptional long and rich on the finish. From vines planted in the 1950s at 5m elevation.

Fermented with the skins for two months and matured in used 500L oak barrels for one year. 13% alc. Forjas del Salnes 2019 Leirana Albariño Rias Baixas ($32) 94 The 2019 Leirana Albariño is an impeccably balanced, pure expression of the grape. An ultra-fresh nose reveals citrus and minerals. It’s bright, clear and very clean on the palate with assertive Meyer lemon and orange zest flavors complemented by saline minerals. Finishes clean and focused. This is a very youthful wine that will get even better with time in the cellar. If you must drink it now, we recommend opening a few hours in advance of serving.

100% Albariño from vines planted in 1960 in sandy, granitic soil at 5m elevation. Made with indigenous yeast in stainless steel and no malo. 13% alc.

Fento 2019 Albariño Rias Baixas ($19) 92 One of the few Albariños made from organically grown grapes, Eulogio Pomares’ wine offers a complex, fresh and incisive nose of tangy citrus and fresh garden herbs. On the palate, it shows excellent depth and focus, filling the mouth with delicious ripe lemon, nectarine, and cucumber flavors.

Outstanding purity and length on the finish, leaving a lingering sense of minerality. 12% alc. Exceptional value!

Bodegas Fillaboa (Condado do Tea) Located in Salvaterra de Miño, Fillaboa is focused exclusively on the cultivation of Albariño, and its wines are made only from estate grown fruit. Its Selección Finca Monte Alto is a single vineyard estate wine. Established in 1989 this estate was purchased in 2000 by the Masaveu family with the goal of creating one of the region’s top wineries. That effort is managed today by José Masaveu. The estate has 54 ha of vineyards along the Tea and Miño Rivers. Today the tasting room and art collection is housed in a 15th century Romanesque castle. The winemaker is Isabel Salgado. US Importer: Folio Fine Wines

Adegas Galegas (Condado do Tea) Founded in 1995 and purchased by Martín Codax in 2012, it has 33 ha of estate and contracted vineyards in O Rosal and Condado do Tea. The flagship brand Don Pedro de Soutomaior is made entirely from grapes of the estate’s two vineyards, Meder and Golan, which total 7.7 ha. Grapes for the winery’s D. Pedro Neve Carbónica Albariño are cold macerated for 12 hours at -4°C with a cover of carbon dioxide. The winery also has vineyards in Bierzo and Monterrei. Juan Posada is the winemaker. US Importer: Curious Cork

Fillaboa 2018 Albariño Viñedo Proprio Rias Baixas ($20) 91 The Fillaboa estate Albariño is a beautifully balanced wine with integrated aromas and flavors of pear, apple and citrus. It reveals good depth and length and has an attractive mineral character that builds on the finish. 13% alc. Fillaboa 2017 Albariño Selección Finca Monte Alto Rias Baixas ($26) 93 Yellow gold. Revealing a honeyed nose of orange peel, lemon zest, and tropical fruit. Rich and generous on a creamy palate with sweet tangerine, bright stone fruit, a hint of earthiness and beautiful balancing lemony acidity. Amazing wine for the price. A single vineyard wine; 13.5% alc.

Adegas Gallegas 2019 D. Pedro de Soutomaior Albariño Rias Baixas ($17) 89 Showing a delicate nose of grapefruit pith, minerals, and grassy notes, the Soutomaior Albariño is bright on the attack, showing green herbs and underripe pear flavors. Crisp and tart on the finish, this is a wine that would benefit from time in cellar. Fermented in stainless steel. 12.5% alc. Adegas Gallegas 2017 Veigadares Pazo de Almuiña Rias Baixas (Condado do Tea) ($22) 90 Veigadares is a white blend fermented and briefly aged in oak. It offers a dessert like nose of creme patisserie with hints of fruit and fennel. These are mirrored on the palate along with firm acidity. A linear wine with a dry, herbal finish. A blend of ancient grape varieties--Albariño, Loureira, Treixadura, and Caiño Blanco--all sourced from the estate vineyards surrounding the 17th century Pazo de Almuiña. The Albariño is fermented and aged on the lees with biweekly battonage in 25 hl French oak foudres after which it is aged in stainless steel for one year. 12.5% alc

Forjas del Salnes (Cambados) Founded in 2005 by the Méndez family and named after the ironworks set up by Francisco Méndez Laredo, this winery has become world famous for its old vine Albariños as well as the light reds that used to be more commonly grown.

Forjas del Salnes sources grapes from 7.5 ha (4 ha are owned by the estate) of vineyards in the villages of Meaño, Sanxenxo and Barro. Total production is about 3500 cases across 15 different labels. Winemaker Rodri Méndez, grandson of Francisco, is one of the region’s most creative winemakers. The winery’s Cos Pés is a single vineyard Albariño that sees skin fermentation in foudre. The Finca Genoveva tinto is made of 100% Caiño vines planted in 1862 at 80m elevation. In addition to making wine at Forjas del Salnes, Rodrigo Méndez has a personal project producing wines exclusively from his village of Meaño that are sold under his own name. US Importer: Ole & Obrigado

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Adegas Gran Vinum (Val do Salnés) After rebuilding the vineyards that had been in the family for generations, in 2002 the Piñeiro Cores family established Adegas Gran Vinum. The winery supplements its 3.2 ha of vineyards with fruit bought from local growers. It follows traditional growing practices, including fertilizing the vines with clam and cockle shells. Enrique Piñeiro is the winemaker. US Importer: Grapes of Spain, Classic Wines

Bodegas La Caña (Val do Salnés) Jorge Ordoñez founded this boutique winery in 2008; the grapes come from 40 different single vineyards, all trained pergola style and all planted before 1990 (some before 1970), totaling 25 ha. They are less than 3 km from the Atlantic on sandy soils from decomposed granite.

The winemaker is Nacho Alvarez. US Importer: Jorge Ordoñez Fine Wines Estate from Spain Bodegas La Caña 2019 Albariño Rias Baixas (Val do Salnes) ($19) 91 Pale straw color. Showing a bright, fresh nose of lime zest and orchard fruit, this Albariño shows good concentration and balance with a tangy lime citrus character. Finishes crisp and dry. Sourced from several old vineyards dating back to 1962. Destemmed and whole cluster pressed after a 12 hour cold soak; fermented in 65% stainless steel and 35% puncheons and demi-muids.

Sur lie aged for 8 months with bi-weekly battonage.

13.5% alc Bodegas La Caña 2017 Navia Albariño Rias Baixas (Val do Salnes) 94 With perfumed aromas that recall stone fruit with tropical nuances, this is a delicious and complex wine. It’s round and full on the palate with perfectly integrated oak, prominent minerals, and a golden raisin richness. The finish leaves persistent mineral and tropical fruit notes behind. Destemmed and whole cluster pressed after a 12 hour cold soak; fermented and aged in new and used puncheons and demi-muids for 12 months with battonage. With this wine Jorge Ordoñez attempts to recreate the Albariño as it existed when he first began importing it to the US. 13% alc.

Adegas Gran Vinum 2019 Albariño Selección Especial Rias Baixas ($30) 93 Showing a fragrant perfume of peach and citrus, this is a very fresh and concentrated wine showing tropical fruit flavors. The palate feel is remarkable--lush and full with bright citrus-like acidity and a prolonged, rich finish of tangy fruit. 100% Albariño from the 50 year old Miranda Aurosa estate vineyard, cold soaked for 20 hours before pressing and fermentation in stainless steel. Adegas Gran Vinum 2019 Esencia Diviña Rias Baixas ($24) 91 Showing a floral nose accompanied by notes of juicy pit fruits. The attack is crisp and generous with tangy citrus and stone fruit on a broad palate.

Finishes dry with good clarity and length. The 2019 Essencia Divina Albariño is a 100% Albariño crafted from estate grown fruit. Made from only free run juice and aged 3 months in tank on the lees. Adegas Gran Vinum 2019 Ka Karina Victoria Rias Baixas ($17) 90 The Ka Albariño is an easy drinking, pleasantly flavored Albariño. It’s quite fragrant of ripe citrus and yellow stone fruit, and ripe flavors of lemon and nectarine show on the palate. Finishes clean with medium length. Exceptional value. Softly pressed, filtered, and fermented in stainless steel. 13% alc. Bottled for Classic Wines. Adegas Gran Vinum 2019 Mar de Viñas Albariño Rias Baixas ($18) 90 An attractive, softly perfumed nose of apple and garden herbs, the Mar de Viña is especially crisp and fresh on the palate with lime and nuances of honeydew and sea salt. Very dry but also very long finish with prominent lemony acidity.

Softly pressed and cold macerated for 36 hours prior to pressing and fermentation with 3 months on lees. Adegas Gran Vinum 2019 Nessa Albariño Rias Baixas ($18) 89 A soft, floral/grassy nose gives way to a crisp, fresh attack and a mineral-laden palate of citrus, lemon grass, and a hint of fennel. Very dry on the finish but with good length and focus. 100% Albariño fermented in stainless steel and aged on the lees for 3 months.

Bodegas La Val (Condado do Tea) Founded in 1985, La Val is one of the pioneer brands in Rias Baixas. It has 53 ha of vineyards in Condado de Tea, and all their wine is made from estate-grown fruit. Their principal brand is La Val. The winemaker is native Galician José Maria Ureta Guzman who earned his Masters’s degree in Enology and Viticulture from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid; he’s a member of the Consejo Regulador’s Tasting Committee. La Val’s export agent is Terra Nostra de Vinos. US Importers: Winebow, Polaner, Vineyard Road, and Tradewinds.

Bodegas La Val 2019 Albariño Rias Baixas ($18) 91 Showing a bouquet of pear, citrus and almond roca, this is an ultra-fresh, crisp, medium weight wine with an appealing round mouth feel. It offers excellent balance and an impressively long and rich citrus-accented finish. 12.5% alc. An Albariño of exceptional value. Bodegas La Val 2018 Licia Albariño Rias Baixas ($17) 89 Medium yellow straw. Fresh scents of cling peach, ripe Crenshaw melon, and hints of Indian spices show on the nose. Bright on the attack with a vibrant palate and firm acid backbone, finishing with good persistence and extract of dried yellow fruits. The grapes for Licia come from 3 vineyards in Condado do Tea; 70% of the grapes are macerated for 6 hours and then fermented in stainless steel.

Old Chapel at Jorge Ordoñez Vineyard

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Lagar de Fornelos (O Rosal) Part of the La Rioja Alta group since 1988, Lagar de Fornelos produces only Albariño wines from its 41 ha of vineyards in the O Rosal area and sells them under the Lagar de Cervera label. Angel Suárez has been the winemaker for the past 17 years.

Lagar de Fornelos 2019 Lagar de Cervera Albariño Rias Baixas ($20) 92 This is a mineral-driven, restrained version of Albariño showing hints of green citrus on the nose. The palate is stony in character with good depth and notes of citrus and nectarine. Very pure with a touch of salinity on a long, rich finish. Not a showy wine but very solid and satisfying. Sourced from vineyards in O Rosal and Condado do Tea. 12.5% alc Importer: Michael Skurnik Maior de Mendoza (Val do Salnés) José Barros planted his first Albariño vineyard in the sandy granite soils of the Salnés in the 1970s. Today the winery farms five vineyards using sustainable practices including no use of chemical herbicides. The cultivation is all done by hand, and the yields are very low. The winery has been a pioneer in the practice of aging on the lees in Rias Baixas. The lead winemaker is Cayetano Otero. US Importer: Cuddihy Wine Importers

Marquez de Vizhoja Vineyard

Marqués de Vizhoja (Condado do Tea) After establishing this winery in 1966, Mariano Peláez purchased the historic, 18th century Pazo de la Moreira in the Condado de Tea in 1976. After a long refurbishment, it became the headquarters of the winery.

Today, it’s surrounded by 38 ha of estate vineyards.

The winemaker is Javier Peláez. Juan Vázquez Gancedo has been CEO of Martin Codax since 1995. Annual production is about 17 thousand cases. D. Mariano was one of those responsible for the creation of the D.O. Rias Baixas.

Maior de Mendoza 2015 3 Crianzas Rias Baixas (Val do Salnes) 92 Subtle scents of lemon zest and pit fruits, the 3 Crianzas is a lovely, well balanced wine with a tangy, leesy palate of cling peach, Meyer lemon and green mango accented by fresh thyme and oregano. Finishes with stony persistence and lingering bright citrus and garden fresh herbal notes. Grapes sourced from the Finca El Horreo with vines aged 30+ years yielding 6.6 tons/ ha (2.8 tons/acre). Cold soaked 9 hours at 8°C and fermented with ambient yeast; aged 9 months on the lees followed by 5 months in stainless steel. 12.5% alc Maior de Mendoza 2019 Eleusis Albariño Rias Baixas (Val do Salnes) ($14) 90 Expressive bouquet of pear and melon with hints of lemon verbena. Bright and beautifully fresh on the attack, showing good depth of lemon and tangerine citrus on the palate. Finishes medium long with a touch of bitterness on the back palate. 13% alc. A crisp, steely wine of exceptional value. Maior de Mendoza 2018 Eleusis Albariño Premium Rias Baixas (Val do Salnes) 91 Vibrant, complex floral and citrus nose. Full in the mouth and bright with very good concentration and freshness and generously flavored of Meyer lemon, guava and fennel.

Finishes clean, mineral and with just a hint of bitterness. A beautiful wine. A selection of the best grapes, cold soaked at 8°C for 10 hours and aged on the lees for 3 months after fermentation; labeled Maior de Mendoza Albarino Sobre Lias in Spain.

Marqués de Vizhoja 2017 Señor de Folla Verde Rias Baixas (Condado do Tea) ($27) 91 Medium dark yellow gold.

Wild honey, honeysuckle, mesquite, and hints of bay leaf and dried oregano show on the nose. Dry on the attack with medium weight with a mineral infused and fruit shy, herbal palate. Interesting, long and rich extract on the finish brightened by brisk acidity. Just 12.5% alc. Marqués de Vizhoja 2019 Torre La Moreira Rias Baixas ($17) 91 Yellow stone fruit nose. The Torre La Moreira is full on the attack with a lovely balanced palate showing yellow apple and citrus fruit with lemon accents. It’s full and round with a light fresh herbal note that lingers on the finish. The grapes come from the winery’s Finca La Moreira vineyard.

12.5% alc.

Martín Códax (Val do Salnés) Located in Cambados, the Martín Códax winery is the largest producer in Rias Baixas, sourcing fruit from almost 500 ha of vineyards and producing over 400 thousand cases of wine annually. Founded in 1986 as a cooperative, today it oversees more than 1,400 vineyard parcels farmed by 600 families around the town of Cambados. The winemaker is Katia Alvarez since 2005. Juan Vázquez Gancedo has been CEO of Martin Codax since 1995. US Importers: E&J Gallo Winery, European Cellars (Burgáns).

Martin Codax 2019 Burgáns Albariño Rias Baixas (Val do Salnes) ($16) 90 The lightly perfumed Burgáns shows floral and citrus notes. It’s clean and bright on the attack, round in the mouth with light stone fruit and tangerine notes. An, uncomplicated, easy drinking wine with well integrated acidity. This is a custom cuvée made by Martin Codax for the importer Eric Solomon; annual production is about

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50 thousand cases/year. 12.5% alc. Martin Codax 2017 Vindel Albariño Rias Baixas (Val do Salnes) 92 Medium yellow straw. Pleasant, expressive nose of ripe fruit with a hint of beeswax. Mouthfilling and layered on the palate with yellow apple, peach skin and light herbal nuances.

Finishes with good length and richness and a chalky mineral note. Late harvesting and skin contact lends this Albariño a rose color; from a single parcel of Agro de Tremoedo and partly aged in used oak. 14% alc

Adega e Viñedos Paco & Lola 2019 Albariño Rias Baixas ($21) 90 Revealing a serious nose of minerals with hints of flowers, this Albariño is bright on the attack with brisk acidity, lovely ripe citrus and herbal edges. There’s a crisp, stony texture to the finish. Easy drinking. Fermented in stainless steel for 21 day remaining on its fine lees until bottling. Adega e Viñedos Paco & Lola 2012 Vintage Albariño Rias Baixas (Val do Salnes) ($50) 91 Yellow gold.

This Albariño sees extended aging in stainless steel prior to bottling and release. It offers a honeyed nose of stone fruit with caramelized notes. The palate is tangy and rich with ripe peach, dried apricot and herbal notes. This is a uniquely styled wine quite unlike the typical Albariño that reveals the effects of extended aging. Sourced from the oldest vineyards then fermented for 21 days and aged on the fine lees with battonage for one year after which it ages another four years in stainless steel tanks. 12.5% alc.

Adegas Morgadío (Condado do Tea) The 60 ha Finca Morgadío is located in Albeos on the shores of the Miño River. It was developed by the Mendéz family in 1984 from multiple parcels purchased and consolidated from previous owners. A state of the art gravity flow winery was added in 1988. Pablo Estévez is the winemaker. The wines reviewed here are made from free run juice. Morgadio set the standard for a fuller, fleshier Albariño with lower acidity. Annual production is about 12 thousand cases. US Importer: Classical Wines Morgadío 2019 Albariño Rias Bsixas 92 Complex nose of mint and verbena herbs, pear, and lemongrass on the nose followed by an unexpectedly concentrated full palate of sweet pear and honeydew accented by fresh thyme and vibrant lime-like acidity. The finish is very very long with rich extract and excellent balance. Morgadío 2019 Legado del Conde Rias Baixas ($19) 91 Effusive peach and spice show on the nose. The attack is clean and stony with good volume and flavor intensity on a fleshy, ripe fruited palate. Finishes clean and long with lingering ripe peach and mineral notes. Excellent value, and a crowd pleaser to boot. 12.5% alc.

Palacio de Fefiñanes in Cambados

Bodegas Muriel (Val do Salnés) In 2015 the Rioja winery Bodegas Muriel purchased Pazo de Villarei (itself founded in 1993), its winery and its 83 ha of vineyards but not the label. Wines produced from the Pazo are now sold under the label Pazo Cilleiro. The vines are located between the estuaries of Arosa and Pontevedra. The US importer is Quintessential.

Palacio de Fefiñanes (Val do Salnés) Fefiñanes is one of the oldest and most prestigious wineries of Rias Baixas. It was the first producer to bottle Albariño wine in the DO Rias Baixas region. Established in 1904, today the winery is housed in the 17th century palace located on the town square in Cambados. Juan Gil de Araújo Careaga is the owner of Fefiñanes, and Cristina Mantilla makes the wines. The winery purchases almost all of its grapes from growers under long term contract; vines are 40 years old on average. Annual production is 16 thousand cases. US Importers: Kysela Pere et Fils, Classic Wines

Bodegas Muriel 2019 Pazo Cilleiro Albariño Rias Baixas (Val do Salnés) ($20) 90+ Subdued nose of light, spicy peach. Very stony with a touch of spritz on the attack, light on the mid-palate and showing a bright stony lemon infused finish. Sourced from 20-25 year old vines grown both on trellis and traditional pergola in small vineyard parcels located near the winery. Picked between Sept 11-28, earlier than usual. The grapes are hand sorted, destemmed, and fermented for 14 days in stainless steel.

Bodegas del Palacio de Fefiñanes 2019 1583 Albariño de Fefiiñanes Rias Baixas ($48) 93 The (lightly) oak matured 1583 Albariño shows a spicy nose of jasmine, dried pineapple, and a hint of orange zest. It’s full and creamy with a firm backbone and layers of rich, spicy flavors on a focused palate, finishing very dry with a saline note.

A selection of fruit in the vineyard with fermentation beginning in stainless steel and ending in French barriques where it ages on the lees with gentle battonage for 3 months before being racked back to stainless steel for further aging. Cristina Mantilla began making this wine in 1995, her first vintage. Bodegas del Palacio de Fefiñanes 2019 Albariño Rias Baixas ($33) 92 The regular bottling of Fefiñanes Albariño reveals a tropical bouquet of peach, citrus and mango. The attack is bright and fresh with a

Adega e Viñedos Paco & Lola This is a cooperative (Sociedad Cooperativa Vitivinicola Arousana) created in 2005 by 430 wine growers. It’s the third largest cooperative in Rias Baixas with 220 ha of vineyards in 2000 parcels in the Val do Salnes. The growers follow sustainable viticulture practices. The winemakers are Cayetano Otero Padin and Nuria de la Torre. Annual production is 230 thousand cases of which 75 thousand are the Paco & Lola brand. Paco & Lola exports to 50 countries; it’s the first winery to be certified under Wineries for Climate Protection. US Importer: Dreyfus Ashby

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steely, precise palate showing stony minerals married to nicely concentrated fresh fruit. A perfectly focused wine with mouthwatering acidity. The flagship wine of Fefiñanes, it was first produced in 1928. It’s sourced from 60 growers in the Cambados region. Fermented in stainless steel.

Over 14 thousand cases produced. Bodegas del Palacio de Fefiñanes 2016 Albariño De Fefiñanes III Año Rias Baixas ($71) 95 Yellow gold. The III Año reveals a vibrant bouquet of tropical fruit with hints of citrus and herbs. This is an elegant wine with rich, complex flavors and very expressive minerality. Fruit and acidity work in tandem in a wine of impeccable balance. One of the very best wines tasted for this report. This 100% Albariño is a selection of the best fruit and the best tank. Aged for 7 months on the lees in steel tanks and another 23 months in tank before bottling in February 2020.

remains on its fine lees for 6 months. 13% alc.

Pazo de Señorans (Val do Salnés) In 1979 Marisol Bueno Berrio-Ategortua and Javier Mareque purchased this ancient 16th century estate of acidic, sandy soils created by the natural decomposition of granitic bedrock in the town of Meis. The estate still has the stone lagar and stone fermentation tank used at the time of its construction. The estate has 18.5 ha of vines surrounding the Pazo, including the Los Bancales parcel, planted with 45 year old vines; Albariño from this parcel is aged a long time in stainless steel and sold under the name Selección de Añada. It is a benchmark wine for the DO. Marisol Bueno played a key role in having Rias Baixas become an official appellation in 1988. Ana Quintela Suárez has been the winemaker since 1991. Annual production about 20 thousand cases. US Importer: European Cellars

Pazo de Barrantes (Val do Salnés) This has been the ancestral home to the Creixell family (owners of Marques de Murrieta in Rioja) since the 15th century, but it released its first wines in 1991,after extensive replanting of its 12 ha vineyard in 1982. The vines are planted in the parral trellis system, and yields are about 9 tons/ha (4 tons/acre), far below the maximum permitted by the DO. The top wine, La Comtesse, is sourced from a single vineyard Pago Cacheiro of old vines planted in 1965. The winemaker is María Vargas.

US Importer: Maison, Marques & Domaines (MMD)

Pazo de Señorans 2019 Albariño Rias Baixas (Val do Salnés) ($25) 91 Subtle notes of orchard fruit and nectarine complemented by scents that evoke wet river stones. Bright and firm attack with good acidity and freshness. Light stone fruit flavors with an overall impression of chalky minerals and a saline note on a focused, linear palate. Finishes with thick extract that lingers and lingers.

100% Albariño matured 5 months in stainless steel. Pazo de Señorans 2011 Selección de Añada Rias Baixas (Val do Salnés) ($59) 95 Atypical of Rias Baixas, the Selección de Añada is aged in stainless steel tank for almost 8 years before bottling (2019 for the 2011 vintage). It’s sourced from the winery’s best and oldest vines and kept on the lees for 30 months. Surprisingly, there’s not a whiff of oxidation to the wine; it seems youthful with unique, leesy aromas and flavors that evoke minerals, herbs, and pit fruit. It has a firm backbone, edgy acidity, and rich breadth of texture with a dense, stony palate that persists through a long finish. Sourced from the pergola trained, 45 year old vines of the Los Bancales vineyard aged 30 months on the lees in stainless steel. 13.5% alc.

Pazo de Barrantes 2018 Albariño Rias Baixas (Val do Salnes) ($22) 92 Showing perfumed scents of lemon, apricot, and bay leaf, the Pazo de Barrantes Albariño has a weighty mid palate and very fresh, finely toned flavors that linger on a very long finish with a resonating mineral note. Sourced from estate vineyards, the grapes are fermented at 10°C for 30 days in stainless steel and afterwards left in contact with the fine lees for two months.

Pazo de Barrantes 2016 La Comtesse Rias Baixas (Valle del Salnés) 94 Wonderfully aromatic, the La Comtesse reveals scents of tropical and stone fruit with a hint of smoky oak.

It’s silky and lush on the palate with big ripe, honeyed tropical flavors. A delicious version of oaked Albariño that would make a great accompaniment to lobster dishes.

100% Albariño sourced from the estate’s vineyard Pago Cacheiro, planted in 1965; destemmed and pressed long and softly, then fermented in 30 hl Allier French oak vats for 60 days at 10°C. It spends 4 months on the lees followed by 12 months in oak vats and another 10 months in concrete. 13.5% alc

Pazo Pondal (Condado do Tea) is a family winery founded in 1998 in Arbo. The Pazo Pondal winery was inaugurated in 2006. The winery has 15 ha of trellised Albariño vines that are in transition to organic viticulture.

The winemaker is Ramon Valls, and Olivia Hernandez is the general manager. The wines are made with ambient yeasts and aged on their fine lees. The flagship wines are aged in French oak barrels. US Importers: Vinaio Imports, Gourmet & Wine Selections, GrandCuvée.

Adega Pazo de Lusco (Condado do Tea) This winery was created in 1996 when the 16th century Galician chateau Pazo Piñeiro in Salvaterra de Miño was purchased by González Byass, and 5 ha of pergola trained vines were planted. It’s located 40 km from the coast. US Importer: González Byass USA

Pazo Pondal 2018 Leira Pondal Albariño Rias Baixas (Condado do Tea) 92 Light yellow straw. The nose shows yellow stone fruit with light notes of dried herbs.

Mouthfilling with a leesy, creamy mouthfeel and seamlessly integrated acids. Nuances of honeycomb, lemon, and cling peach. Lovely texture and complexity in this Albariño.

Picked early in the morning from younger vines, the destemmed fruit is given a cold soak of 8 hours, then pressed and fermented with ambient yeast in stainless steel and French oak remaining on the fine lees for a minimum of 6 months. 13% alc. Pazo Pondal 2018 Miña Vida Rias Baixas (Condado do Tea) ($16) 90 Medium yellow straw.

Pazo de Lusco 2019 Albariño Crianza Sobre Lías Rias Baixas (Condado do Tea) 92 Light yellow straw. Vibrant bouquet of yellow stone fruit and lemon peel. Brisk on the attack with a full, round mouth feel and layers of generous, ripe fruit flavors and beautifully integrated acidity. Finishes on a mineral note with rich extract. A delicious Albariño that shows the benefits of extended lees aging. The wine

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Rectoral de Umia (Salnés) is located in the Val do Salnes on the banks of the Umia River. The estate has 130 ha of estate vineyards and vineyards under contract with 200 winegrowers in the Condado, Salnes, and Ulla subzones. The winery has the capacity to produce 400 thousand cases. Rectoral de Umia is part of the Bodegas Gallegas group, which makes a wide range of wines from 5 wineries in Galicia. Its wines are sold under the Bodegas Milenium label in the US. US Importer: Classic Wines, Opici Wines, Arcadia Imports, Monsieur Touton Selection, the Artisan Collection, and Schneider’s of Capitol Hill.

Scents of stone fruit complemented by thyme and other fresh herbs. There’s a stony character to the attack with good fullness and firm acidity in the mouth. A flavorful wine with nice herbal complexity and prominent minerals on a long finish. Distinctive. A blend of 60% Albariño and 40% Treixadura, this is the only blend made by the winery.

13% alc.

Quinta do Couselo (O Rosal) Located in the O Rosal subregion of Rias Baixas, Quinta Couselo farms 12 ha of estate vineyards and other leased properties. The 2 ha estate vineyard A Cheira is mainly 30 year old Albariño together with Loureiro and Caiño Blanco, all trained pergola style. It is enclosed within the original walls built by Cistercian monks who in 1137 established the monastery of Santa Maria de Oia and later developed this ancient cru. The Carballas River, a tributary of the Miño, borders the southwest end of the property. The 3 ha Sobral vineyard has slate soils and is planted to 15 year old Albariño vines planted to both trellis and pergola training systems. The Quinta do Couselo was tended since 1864 by the Vicente family; in 2013 it was acquired by the project Grandes Pagos Gallegos de Viticultura Tradicional. José Manuel Martinez Juste is the winemaker. US Importer: South River Imports, Antalva Imports, Hidalgo Imports

Bodegas Milenium 2019 Sentidiño Albariño Rias Baixas ($17) 88 Pale straw. This is an easy drinking Albariño with vibrant citric fruit aromas and flavors. There’s good depth on the palate with lingering lemon-lime extract on the finish. Grapes sourced from Cambados and Pontevedra.

Rodrigo Méndez (Val do Salnés) This is the personal label of Rodrigo Méndez, winemaker at Forjas del Salnes. He sources fruit from old vines dating back to 1954 in Meaño, an area of 7 villages. The production is tiny. US Importer: Ole & Obrigado Rodrigo Méndez 2019 Cies Rias Baixas (Val do Salnés) ($40) 94 Medium yellow straw. This superbly balanced and focused wine begins with a bouquet of dried lemon, wheat, and spice. There’s real mineral character to the mouth filling palate and a lingering finish with rich extract. A gorgeous wine. 13% alc.

Quinta Couselo 2019 Quinta de Couselo Rias Baixas (O Rosal) ($27) 93 Predominantly made of Albariño, this white blend offers a fine, floral bouquet of fresh and dried white flowers and hints of ginger and citrus. It offers a gentle attack and a perfumed palate of citrus, white stone fruit, and a hint of honeysuckle. It’s superbly balanced, offering both freshness and depth with excellent acidic cut. A blend of Albariño, Loureiro, and Caiño Blanco. 13% alc. Quinta Couselo 2019 Turonia Albariño Rias Baixas (O Rosal) ($25) 92 The Turonia Albariño reveals a starbright perfume of tropical flowers and fruit with a brisk attack and a full, rich mouth feel that evokes a melange of tangy orange and lemon citrus with hints of cherimoya and pineapple.

Finishes on a crisp, mineral note and lingering lozenge like fruit. A beautifully crafted wine that pairs superbly with seafood stew. Sourced from sustainably farmed, 30+ year old vineyards in granite and shale soils in O Rosal. Very slowly pressed with 4 months on its fine lees. 13% alc.

Santiago Ruiz (O Rosal) Established in 1890, today this historic winery is owned by the Rioja winery LAN (which in turn was purchased by the Portuguese Sogrape group in 2012); it has 38 ha of vines located on the estuary of the Minho River. The wines are Albariño based blends. The winemaker is Luisa Freire.

US importers: Monsieur Touton, Grape Expectations, Well Oiled Wine Co. Santiago Ruíz 2019 White Wine Rias Baixas 92 This Albariño based white blend offers a fresh, crisp nose of blanched almond, white peach and guava. It’s firmly textured with bright herbal notes complementing tangy, juicy tropical and citrus fruit. The palate is broad and moutfhilling with good complexity and an exceptionally persistent finish. A hand harvested blend of Albariño, Loureiro, and Treixadura grown in the O Rosal subregion using only juice from the first pressing. 12.5% alc. .

Bodegas y Viñedos Raúl Pérez is located in Bierzo, but Raúl Pérez makes wines throughout Galicia.

In Rias Baixas he’s best known for his old vine Atalier and Sketch, which he makes at Forjas del Salnés where his good friend Rodri Méndez is winemaker. US Importer: Michael Skurnik

Señorio de Rubiós (Condado do Tea) In 2003 the Señor de Rubiós was established by 57 members (now 100 members) with capacity to process 700 thousand kilos of grapes. At the same time the grower-members established Viticultores de Rubiós Sociedad Cooperative Gallega to provide the grapes for the winery. Most of the growers have small plots (minifundios) farmed manually using the pergola system. The first wines were released to the market in 2006. The Señorio de Rubiós vineyard is in the Miño River basin at 200 meters elevation on the side of Mount San Nomedio in the small area called Rubiós. The winery puts a priority on recovering the traditional grape varieties of Condado do Tea. The enologist is Jorge Hervella. US Importer: Classic Wines

Bodegas y Viñedos Raúl Pérez 2019 Atalier Rias Baixas (Val do Salnes) ($30) 93 Raul Perez’ 2019 Atalier shows lovely aromatics of lemongrass, white peach, and citrus and a focused, dense palate. A wine of excellent precision with lingering fruit and salty mineral notes. This is a very youthful wine with well integrated oak. We expect it to evolve and show increased complexity with a couple of years cellaring. Fermented half in 50 hl foudre and half in stainless steel. 13% alc. Outstanding value!

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Torres (Val do Salnés) This estate and its walled 6 ha vineyard of 40 year old vines was purchased by the Familia Torres in 2017, and in 2020 it released its first wine, from the 2018 vintage. The wine was fermented and aged in 730L egg shaped vessels made from granite. Its first wine is called the Pazo das Bruxas Albariño. The cold nature of the granite means the wines do not need to be cooled during fermentation.

The granite also reportedly contributes to the salinity of the wine. Victor Cortizo is the winemaker. US Importer: Miguel Torres

Señorio de Rubiós 2019 Robaliño Albariño Rias Baixas ($20) 91 Medium yellow straw. Showing a floral bouquet with hints of cling peach and almond, this Albariño from the Condado do Tea is full and round in the mouth with a firm acid backbone and a persistent peach-like finish.

Winemaker Jorge Hervella has made a beautiful wine from pergola-trained grapes grown on the slopes of Monte de San Nemedio overlooking the Río Miño. 12.5% alc.

Adega Terras do Sur (Condado do Tea) Founded in 2014, this is an artisanal winery owned and managed by 4th generation winegrower José Antonio Canda Gil that markets its wines under the Terras do Sur label.

Since the 1990s, he has focused on resuscitating the indigenous variety Brancellao. US Importer: Fortius Beverage Consultants

Torres 2018 Pazo das Bruxas Albariño Rias Baixas ($20) 91 Green tinged yellow straw. Subtle scents of flowers and river stones with a hint of minty herbs. Very clean and pure on a full palate with an exceptionally persistent rich mineral-like aftertaste. An excellent wine to accompany fresh seafood. A blend of grapes mostly from O Rosal with some Val do Salnés, cold soaked for 6 hours. 12.5% alc.

Terras do Sur 2019 Albariño Rias Baixas (Condado do Tea) 89 Light yellow with green flecks. The bouquet reveals cling peach and lemon zest with a hint of dusty grass. Soft on the attack with medium depth of flavor, showing Meyer lemon and sweet pear with a dried herbal note. Nice long finish on the mid-palate, and the acidity is well integrated. Hand harvested and cold fermented with ambient yeasts. 13% alc

Adegas Valmiñor (O Rosal) Established in 1997

by Carlos Gómez, today this winery has 35 ha of vines planted at 20-120m above the sea and produces about 55 thousand cases of wine. Alvaro Bueno is winemaker; he has been honored as the Best Galician Winemaker by the Gallaecia Sommeliers Association.

This is one of Rias Baixas quality pioneers. In addition to Albariño, Valmiñor has 3 ha of the indigenous red variety Castañal; it’s the only winery to make a wine from Castañal. Valmiñor also makes a white blend of Albariño, Loureiro and Treixadura and also a single varietal wine of Loureiro. US Importers: Kysela Pere et Fils and Seaview Imports.

Terras do Sur 2018 Tinto Rías Baixas Condado do Tea 90 Medium ruby red. Introduced by dark red fruit aromas with notes of earth and smoke. The softly textured, medium weight palate reveals red cherry complemented by nuances of huckleberry and plum and bright acidity. A fresh red raspberry note shows on the finish. Made from the rare Brancellao grape (40%) blended with Caiño, Souson, and Espadeiro. 12.5% alc.

Terras Gauda (O Rosal) Founded in 1989 by the Fonseca family, Antón Fonseca is now at the helm. This is a large, family run winery with 160 ha of Albariño, Caiño Blanco, and Loureira Blanca vineyards planted at an elevation of 50-150m above sea level. The original estate is located in O Rosal, but the Terras Gauda group also owns Pittacum in Bierzo and Quinta Sardonia in Sardón del Duero and Heraclio Alfaro in Rioja.Each variety in the blend is cold macerated and vinified separately at low temperatures with indigenous yeasts.

The winemaker is Emilio Rodríguez. Annual production is 125 thousand cases. US Importer: Heritage, Trinchero Family Estates

Valminor 2019 Albariño Rias Baixas (O Rosal) ($24) 92 Revealing a floral nose with nuances of lemon and orange citrus and white pepper, the Valminor Albariño has nicely concentrated flavors. It’s soft and round in the mouth with excellent acid balance, and lingering rich tangy citrus notes on the finish. Sourced from the O Rosal subregion; gently pressed after 6 hours cold soak. 14.5% alc.

Bodegas Viña Nora (Condado do Tea) Established in 1988; with 17 ha of estate vines (average age 30 years) planted on natural terraces of decomposed granite and stone in the As Neves municipality overlooking the Miño River, Viña Nora also supervises about 100 small growers in Condado do Tea, Val do Salnés, and Ribeira do Ulla who complement their own grapes. The winemaker is Alexia Luca de Tena.

The winery now belongs to the Terraselecta investment group. Production is about 8 thousand cases of the flagship Val de Nora Albariño and a little over 1 thousand cases of Nora da Neve. US Importer: Aviva Vino

Bodegas Terras Gauda 2019 Abadía San Campo Albariño Rias Baixas (O Rosal) 91 Light golden yellow color. The nose is soft and floral, like many wines from this sub zone, and the palate is softly textured with lovely tropical fruit flavors and mouthwatering acidity.

Finishes impressively long, leaving behind persistent floral notes. Made from estate grown grapes. 12.5% alc Bodegas Terras Gauda 2019 Terras Gauda Rias Baixas (O Rosal) 92 Light yellow gold. A very appealing, fragrant bouquet of peach, orange zest, and hints of bay leaf and cucumber gives way to a bright, fruity attack and a richly flavored palate that mirrors the bouquet with additional nuances of cherimoya and tangerine. Finishes with persistent, fresh fruit and mineral notes. Predominantly (70%) Albariño with (20%) Caiño Branco and (10%) Loureira fermented with ambient yeast. 12.5% alc.

Viña Nora 2019 Nora Albariño Rias Baixas ($17) 90 Showing scents of dried herbs and lime zest, this entry level Albariño shows bright citric acidity on the palate along with tangy, fresh apple with a hint of white stone fruit. Finishes on a lingering chalk and citrus note. 90% fermented and aged 4 months on the lees in stainless

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steel with 10% fermented and aged in French oak. 13% alc. This is a super fresh, fun to drink Albariño offering excellent value. Viña Nora 2018 Nora da Neve Rias Baixas 91 The Nora da Neve Albariño offers a light perfume of pear and citrus with a chamomile tea note, It’s bright on the attack and clean on a round palate with zingy acidity. 100% Albariño from 30 year old vines fermented in French oak where it’s aged on the lees for an additional 7 months; 13% alc. Viña Nora 2018 Nora da Neve Encarnación Rodriguez Rias Baixas (Condado do Tea) 91 Medium yellow. This oak-fermented, single vineyard Albariño reveals a honeyed bouquet and a firm palate with herbal tea notes and an appealing creamy, full texture. The persistent finish is marked by bright, juicy acidity. Fruit sourced from the 30 year old vines of Encarnacion Rodriguez Vineyard in Salvaterra de Miño; cold soaked 48 hours and fermented in French oak where it ages on the lees for 8 months. 13.5% alc.

(Val do Salnés) (Salnes) ($50) 96 Vibrant and elegant, the El Palomar made from 170+ year old, self-rooted vines is among the very best Albariños we tasted for this report. While fermented and matured in oak, its effect on the wine is subtle and textural. The palate is perfectly balanced with rich flavors of tangy pit fruit and ripe citrus. The finish is long and impeccable. El Palomar is an ungrafted vineyard believed to have been planted in the 1850s. The soils are poor, and barely cover a very hard granite. The wine is aged in a single, large neutral barrel for 6 months, and does full malolactic fermentation.

Fermented and matured in an 8 year old, 22 hl oak vat.

Needs time in cellar to show its best although it drinks superbly right now. 13% alc Zarate 2019 Tinto Fontecon Rias Baixas (Val do Salnes) ($40) 93 This single vineyard red wine from Rias Baixas is very very good. It reveals red berries, plum, and pomegranate aromas and flavors and is wonderfully silky smooth and long on the palate.

Very fresh with good acidity, it also has a light spicy note. A blend of 70% Caiño and 30% Espadeiro.

Annex: Principal NonAlbariño Grape Varieties

Zarate Vineyard

Zarate (Val do Salnés) The Zarate estate was founded in 1707 on the lower reaches of the Umia River.

Today, 7th generation Eulogio Pomares is at the helm of this historic winery. In addition to Albariño, he has been instrumental in the recovery of the region’s once dominant red varieties. Eulogio farms Rias Baixas’ oldest documented Albariño vineyard—the prephylloxera El Palomar planted in 1850. His farming is biodynamic, and all new plantings are massale selections from the estate’s oldest vines. Fermentations are done with indigenous yeasts. US Importers: Rare Wine Co., Polaner

Many grape varieties are grown in Rías Baixas, although Albariño dominates. The graph shows the production of the leading non-Albariño grape varieties in thousands of kilos in 2019. These varieties are discussed briefly below. In aggregate, these varieties account for less than 4 percent of the total harvest in 2019. The number of hectares of vines planted is given in parentheses after the name of each grape.

Zarate 2019 Albariño Rias Baixas (Val do Salnes) ($23) 92 Light yellow straw. Showing a grassy, chalky mineral nose, this is superbly balanced wine with bright, precise citrus and exciting interplay between acidity and fruit.

Finishes on an energetic note that lingers on and on.

Sourced from vines averaging 35 years of age. It spends 6 months on the fine lees.and a small portion (10-25%) goes through malo. Zarate 2018 Albariño Tras da Viña Rias Baixas (Val do Salnes) ($26) 95 Tras da Viña is stony and mineral-like in character. It’s a sleekly textured, precise wine with beautiful balance and seamless integration of fruit and minerals. Amazing elegance at this price. From a single vineyard parcel planted in 1970.

The wine is left on the lees for 30+ months; a portion passes thru malo. Zarate 2019 El Palomar Rias Baixas

White Varieties In addition to Albariño, the principal white varieties grown in Rías Biaxas are Loureiro (Loureira Blanca), Treixadura, Godello and Caiño Blanco. Thousands of kilos harvested in 2019 are given in parentheses. For purposes of comparison, in 2019 over 31 million kilos of Albariño were harvested.

Loureiro (191k), also known as Loureira Blanca, is an aromatic, ancient white grape variety. It’s mostly grown in the Minho area of Northern Portugal where it is the principal grape in Vinho Verde wines. A much smaller

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amount is grown in Spain. It prefers cooler coastal climates. In a blend it contributes distinctive aromas of laurel, acacia blossom, orange flowers, and nuances of apple and peach. In Rías Baixas, it’s especially found in O Rosal. In 2014, Spain grew 297 ha of Loureiro.

it’s known as Vinhão. It has small, round berries and produces good quality wines with a lot of aroma.

Brancellao (16k) is a high vigor, delicately aromatic grape with soft tannins typically made to be drunk young.

As of 2015 there were only 36 ha of Brancellao growing in Spain, all in Galicia.

Treixadura (219k) is a very vigorous, white-wine grape originally from Portugal but increasingly grown and produced in Spain as a single varietal wine. It exhibits lemony aromatics and delicate flavors of orchard and stone fruit. It has relatively low acidity and high alcohol, which makes it a good blending companion to Albariño.

Spain grew 983 ha of Treixadura in 2015, almost all in Galicia.

Espadeiro (41k) is a red grape grown in Galicia used for blending as well as making mono-varietal wines, usually rosé. It has fresh, red berry aromas and flavors.

Rodri Mendez makes a unique single varietal Espadeiro from vines planted in Val do Salnés in the 1960s. Condes de Albarei and Zarate make oak aged Espadeiro wine; the one from Albarei is made from 100 year old vines.

Godello (52k) is a high quality, very aromatic white variety originating in Spain where it reaches its highest expression in Valdeorras. It’s a versatile variety that is often compared to Chardonnay and can be made in either an oaked or unoaked style. It is relatively dense in body with rich fruit and high acidity. Jancis Robinson says it “..combines the structure of white Burgundy with the finesse of a juicily mineral grape.” As of 2015, Spain had 977 ha of Godello.

Mencía (82k) is the same as Jaen do Dão in Portugal.

It produces a high quality, medium bodied, age-worthy red wine, especially in Bierzo, located east of Rías Baixas. The few producers of mono-varietal Mencía in Rías Baixas include Albamar, Aquitania, and Señorio de Rúbios.

Caiño Blanco (272k) is native to Galicia and northern Portugal. Most of the Rías Baixas plantings are found in the O Rosal subzone. As of 2008, there were only 58 ha growing in all of Spain, virtually all in Galicia. Caiño Blanco has small bunches with small round berries and produces high alcohol wines with bright acidity, tropical flavors and a sense of minerality. It’s used exclusively as a blending grape with Albariño.

Red Varieties Red varieties were widely grown in Rías Baixas in prephylloxera times, and today there’s a resurgence of interest in them, especially in the very old vine parcels that have survived time and the popularity of Albariño.

The most important red varieties are: Caiño Tinto, Sousón, Loureira Tinta, Brancellao and Espadeiro. In addition, a tiny amount of a variety called Castañal is grown; Valminor makes a single varietal wine from it.

Caiño Tinto (46k) is a dark skinned, late ripening variety that contributes fragrance and structure to red blends. It has very thick skins that contribute color and tannins to wines. As of 2015, there were 361 ha growing in Spain.

Sousón (146k) is a drought resistant vine that produces small, blue-black thin-skinned berries with a juicy flesh.

Wines made from the grape are relatively high in acidity and intensely red colored. Black fruits like blackberry and cassis show on the palate. It has an excellent ability to age in oak. It’s the same as the Portuguese variety Vinhão. Spain has about 347 ha of the variety.

Loureira Tinta (3k), also known as Loureiro Tinto, is a rare red wine grape native to Galicia. In Portugal,

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