Forjas del Salnes - Leirana Albarino 2023
Price: $39.99
Sale Price: $29.89
| Producer | Forjas del Salnes |
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| Country | Spain |
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| Region | Rias Baixas |
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| Varietal | Albarino |
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| Vintage | 2023 |
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| Sku | 04057 |
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| Size | 750ml |
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From vines ranging from 40-70 years of age, all with close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. Winemaker Rodrigo "Rodri" Medez is, by all measure, the King of Albarino. "Descended from the founding head of the DO of Rias Baixas, he is an astute historian of the history and heritage of this place, and makes wines to express and preserve this history and unique maritime terroir. He sources the parcels he farms through generational familial relationships, from families for whom winemaking is no longer their way of life. Indeed, his preservation of these historic vineyards is a vocation as much as it is a passion project – he feels compelled and bound to farm these parcels, because otherwise they would no longer exist. He makes wine in a way that harkens back to lost methods – painstaking work that eschews the tutti-frutti style that’s become the mainstream. Rather than allowing the wine to go through malolactic fermentation, Rodri lets his fruit hang longer than his neighbors in the appellation, allowing the natural weight and viscosity of the wine balance the searing acidity that this maritime zone produces. This approach is risky and requires expertise few can match, but the end result is a wine with weight that reflects the sea and the wind – unmistakably Salnes." importer note
Val do Salnes is the coolest region in Rias Baixas in by virtue of its proximity to the Atlantic – a whopping 5 meters above sea level! There is a pronounced salinity to this wine that serves to accentuate the flinty mineral tones and complement the juicy stone fruit. The nose really does almost smell like the ocean – my mouth started watering for oysters as soon as I tasted it. As is Rodri's hallmark, this is impeccably balanced and beautifully concentrated. A stunning wine that stands well apart from the Albarino pack!
Wine Advocate: 94 Points
"The textbook 2023 Leirana is elegant, clean and expressive, with notes of white flowers and fruit, fine lees and herbs. It fermented and matured in stainless steel and 80% in oak foudres for six months. The palate is medium-bodied with good ripeness and a moderate 12.4% alcohol, keeping the freshness and balance and finishing with a bitter and salty twist. This is very tasty. 50,000 bottles. It was bottled in March 2024." - Luis Gutiérrez
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