Albariño Abadia San Campo Rias Baixas DO 2024

This Albariño was born in the Rías Baixas appellation, in Galicia, in the far north-west of Spain. Bodegas Terras Gauda is based in the O Rosal valley, near the mouth of the Minho, the river that marks the border with Portugal. The cool, humid Atlantic climate is tempered by the ocean. The grapes for this cuvée come from the estate's highest plots, planted on poor, well-drained granite soils dotted with alluvial deposits, gneiss and schist.

The harvest is entirely by hand and the grapes are brought to the winery in small crates to preserve the integrity of the bunches. After a cold pre-fermentation maceration, the alcoholic fermentation takes place in stainless-steel tanks at low temperature, with a native yeast isolated in the estate's own vineyards. The wine then rests for as long as needed for its natural stabilisation before being bottled, to retain all its aromatic freshness.

This wine reveals notes of grapefruit, lemon, pineapple, Golden Delicious apple, pear, apricot, aniseed and fresh herbs. The highly intense nose is dominated by citrus and white fruit, extended by a tropical touch and a herbaceous nuance. The broad, unctuous palate keeps remarkable freshness and liveliness thanks to perfectly integrated acidity. The long, elegant finish returns to citrus and white fruit.

The history of wine in Spain is so ancient that no one really knows who first brought the vines to the region. By the time the Phoenicians arrived some 3,000 years ago and founded the present-day cities of Cádiz and Jerez, viticulture was already well established, and Spanish wines were widely traded throughout the Mediterranean and North Africa. You could say that Spain is a winemaking miracle. After years on the sidelines of the world of fine wines, it is now a major player. Investment and ambition in vineyards and wineries are resulting in increasingly rich, complex (often high in alcohol), and spicy reds that are gaining popularity with international consumers. Proud to have more land dedicated to vines than any other country, Spain is only now beginning to capitalize on this resource in a consistent way. Spain is a chaotic jumble of regions and subregions, much like its landscape is a chaotic jumble of incredibly rugged scenery. A glance at a map reveals the climatic diversity among Spain's many wine regions, from the lush, green vineyards of Galicia on the northern Atlantic coast to the parched vineyards of the southeastern Mediterranean. Spain's saving grace for viticulture is the average altitude of its vineyards, which is over 600 meters. Many Spanish vineyards are thus able to produce grapes with good color and acidity simply because nighttime temperatures are relatively low and the grapes don't ripen until after a sufficiently long growing season. But there is a real treasure trove to be found for those willing to dig, and now that a class of connoisseurs has developed in Spain, all sorts of ambitious investors have done their part to change the image of Spanish wine. Today, a new generation of winemakers has quietly begun to craft spectacular wines and experiment with grape varieties that would have been unthinkable not so long ago. Wine remains an important commodity and an integral part of Spanish culture.