2020 Do Ferreiro Albarino Rias Baixas

Fresh and smooth, this wine from bodega Gerardo Méndez has a dry, refreshing character and a great balance. Aniseed, white flowers, aromatic herbs, citrus and some mineral nuances. Long, crisp finish. Do Ferreiro is a benchmark Albariño. Every year, it delivers the goods, showing a degree of aromatic complexity, nervy minerality, and pure intensity of flavor that always makes it stand out from the rest. Delicious upon release, it is also one of the few Albariños to improve in bottle for up to a decade (maybe longer?) beyond the vintage year. There is bright fruit intermingling with the classic Do Ferreiro salty/smoky mineral bite. Enjoy this wine on its own or with all types of seafood.

Highly regarded for crafting albariño, Do Ferreiro has become a reference point for the grape. They farm over 175 tiny plots of albariño by hand, all located in the Salnés subzone of Rías Baixas. This valley’s proximity to the ocean, ideal climate due to the natural protection by mountain ranges, and decomposed granitic soil have gained the reputation for being the best zone in Rías Baixas for growing profound albariño. The blend of these plots is what makes up Do Ferreiro Albariño. No other grape varieties or regions are blended into Do Ferreiro, as is common with many albariño wines. Fermentations are exclusively carried out by native yeasts.

Vinification – After a manual harvest, the grapes are destemmed and given a brief cold soak. Alcoholic fermentation is started with indigenous yeasts using the pied de cuve method in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. The wine is then aged on the lees for at least six months before bottling.