Wine & Spirits - August 2018 - 67

YEAR'S BEST
GALICIAN WINES
Our blind panels tasted 145 new-release Galician wines over the past 12 months.
Patricio Tapia, our critic for Spain, rated 52 as exceptional (90+) and 23 as Best Buys.
Find a complete list of wines tasted and all reviews at wineandspiritsmagazine.com.

W HI T E
MONTERREI
230208

94 | Quinta da Muradella

$66

2013 Monterrei Gorvia ^ Winemaker José
Luis Mateo planted this three-acre parcel of
doña blanca in 1987; it's at an elevation of
1,500 feet, very close to the border with Portugal. He presents the fruit from those vines
as Gorvia, a pure expression of doña blanca,
aged for nine months in old barrels, then
for several years in bottle. This wine delivers the refreshing, acidic side of the grape,
in the immediate company of ripe whitefruit flavors and citrus touches that underline its freshness. Pour it with sardinhas. § Olé
Imports, New Rochelle, NY
231314

91 | Quinta da Muradella

$23

2015 Monterrei Candea Blanco (Best
Buy) ^ From its cinnamon-and-clove spice
to the details of herbs, this is powerful in
flavor and structure. A white for smoked
pork, this is equal parts treixadura and doña
blanca blended with 20 percent verdello. § Olé
Imports, New Rochelle, NY

RÍAS BAIXAS
230235

95 | Palacio de Fefiñanes

$54

2014 Rías Baixas III Año Albariño ^ The jewel
in the crown of the small range of albariños
from Fefiñanes, this comes from a selection
of vineyards planted on granitic soils in Cambados, in the heart of Salnés. The wine is aged
for three years in steel tanks, including seven
months in contact with its lees. The result is
a delicate beauty presenting flowers, citrus
fruits and honey, all in a subtle and refreshing harmony. Nothing seems to be out of
place, all the elements delivered in homeopathic doses, ready to refresh a grilled fish.
The finish is clean and herbal, with a note of
watermelon that makes it mouthwatering. §
Classic Wines, Stamford, CT
231037

the grapes late in the season, obtaining a textural creaminess and diminishing the strong
presence of malic acid that this vineyard
gives. The result is an albariño with a juicy
density, releasing notes of candied lime and
herbs. It is dense, with crunchy acidity that
lasts, the wine ending fresh and crystalline,
accompanied by more sweet and juicy white
fruit that sets you up for the next sip. Delicious and charming now, it has a long life
ahead. § Michael Skurnik Wines, NY
230510

94 | Eladio Piñeiro

$27

2016 Rías Baixas Envidiacochina Tête de
Cuvée Albariño ^ From notes of candied tangerines, this develops scents of mint leaves
and flowers. It offers pure sensory pleasure,
but also a little intellectual challenge-setting out to recognize all the aromas that
emerge from the glass. Eladio Piñeiro, former owner of Mar de Frades, makes Envidiacochina ("dirty envy") from 30-year-old vines
in Salnés. § Think Global, Santa Barbara, CA
230211

94 | Rodrigo Méndez

$37

2016 Rías Baixas Cíes ^ Cíes is 100 percent
albariño from vineyards planted between
1954 and 1964 on granite sands very close
to the sea. Those vines grow in Salnés, the
region where Rodrigo Méndez grew up and
where he sources all the fruit for his personal
project. It starts with notes of ginger and
mint, building spicy flavors into the dense
texture. Those flavors run deep, firm in acidity and delicious with sea bass sashimi. § Olé
Imports, New Rochelle, NY
230471

93 | Eladio Piñeiro

$37

$78

2013 Rías Baixas Frore de Carme Reserve
Albariño ^ This reserve aged on its lees for
more than a year, developing a succulent
texture, its ripeness yielding scents of white
fruits and flowers. Its acidity moves like an
arrow, leaving a trail of freshness and notes of
lime marmalade. It is not the classic albariño
of Rías Baixas, but it is one that will surprise
you. § Think Global, Santa Barbara, CA
230992

2016 Rías Baixas Sketch ^ The legendary
winemaker Raúl Pérez crafts this albariño
from a vineyard planted in 1965 in the town
of Dena, in Salnés. For Sketch, Pérez harvests

2016 Rías Baixas Leirana Genoveva Alba-
riño ^ The albariño vines at Finca Genoveva
were planted in 1862 and trained overhead

95 | Raúl Pérez

93 | Forjas del Salnés

$45

on a pergola trellis. Rodrigo Méndez ages
this wine in an old 2,500-liter foudre for a
year, and the result is a delicious blend of ripe
white fruits, herbs and spices. The texture is
creamy, charmingly smooth, and delineated
by a lively citrus acidity that moves the wine
gracefully into the finish. § Olé Imports, New
Rochelle, NY
230213

93 | Forjas del Salnés

$45

93 | Palacio de Fefiñanes

$48

93 | Palacio de Fefiñanes

$28

93 | Siete Pasos

$28

2016 Rías Baixas Cos Pés ^ Cos pés, in Gallego, means "with the feet," which is how
the grapes are crushed for this albariño. The
juice remains with the skins for two months,
then it's run off into used barrels to age for
the rest of the year. The result is an unusual
albariño-with deep flavors of tangerines
and limes, a wild texture with the tannins of
a red wine and, at the same time, a juicy citrus acidity. Grown in Salnés, hard by the sea,
this is an untamed wine that needs food with
a similarly strong character. Try it with sea
urchins. § Olé Imports, New Rochelle, NY
230236
2016 Rías Baixas 1583 Albariño ^ A selection of albariño grown in Cambados, this
ferments in barrels for three months and
then ages for three more in tanks. As is typical of the wines from this house, the purity
of the fruit prevails-the aromas and flavors of apricot, pears and herbs. Here, in
this wine, there is also a soft spicy touch that
adds complexity and charm. It is subtle, soft
and, above all, very refreshing. § Classic Wines,
Stamford, CT
230787
2017 Rías Baixas Albariño de Fefiñanes ^
This is the flagship of Palacio de Fefiñanes,
first produced in 1928. The grapes are from
Cambados, and the wine spends six months
in stainless-steel tanks until it's bottled. A
classic albariño from Rías Baixas, this is a
lovely mix of peach flavors, scents of flowers
and herbs and a mineral background. It is
soft, round, juicy and rich in its lime-scented
acidity. For batter-fried calamari. § Kysela Père
et Fils, Winchester, VA
231059
2016 Rías Baixas La Casa de las Locas
Albariño ^ Bodegas Peñafiel makes Siete
Pasos wines with grapes from different areas
of Spain, including this one, from Salnés. It
opens with candied-lemon scents carried on
a light texture, the ripe citrus flavors subtly
decorated by notes of herbs. That herbal
acidity frames the fruit, presenting it clearly
in all its depth of flavor. § Hillside Wines &
Spirits, Santa Monica, CA
230169
WINE & SPIRITS

AUGUST 2018

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