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Everything You Need to Know About Albariño

In Spain's Rías Baixas region, crisp, mineral-driven albariño is king. Here, everything you need to know about Spain's quintessential coastal white wine.

Rias Baixas Wine

Unfurled along the rugged Atlantic coast of Spain’s Galicia is a remote stretch of vineyards, planted just inland from the historic, breezy fishing villages that stipple the waterfront. Here in Rías Baixas, a region known for its crisp, mineral-driven expressions of albariño, winemakers will argue that their wines communicate a sense of place, and they do. But just as the language differs in this small, northwestern corner of Spain—the common dialect, Galician, actually shares much in common with Portuguese—these wines, too, require something of an alternate vocabulary.

Rías Baixas Albariño at a Glance

Location: A part of “Green Spain,” Rías Baixas sits in the heart of the verdant Galicia region, along the country’s northwestern Atlantic coast.

Sub-Regions: Five different sub-regions give their unique signature to the wines: Val do Salnés, Condado do Tea, O Rosal, Ribeira do Ulla and Soutomaior.

No. of Producers: Approx. 180

Climate: The region’s cool, maritime climate provides an an ideal home for the high-acid albariño grape.

Soils: Granitic soils located throughout impart a distinct mineral character to the wines.

Styles: Expressions range from the bright, refreshing, mineral-driven, “classic” expression—which displays notes of orchard fruit, citrus and a hint of brine—to the richer, more deeply textured lees-aged versions, which occasionally reveal the subtle influence of oak.

It’s easy to think of Spanish wine in broad strokes; what comes to mind most often are big, bold reds from hot, especially dry places, like Ribera del Duero, Priorat and Jumilla. Rías Baixas, by contrast, represents the reverse image of this stereotype. A part of “Green Spain,” it benefits from a number of unique microclimates, shaped by ample rainfall, mineral-rich soils and an especially verdant landscape. And while its wines, fittingly, are most often drunk young and celebrated as a match for hyper-local, seafood-driven dishes, winemakers in this still-maturing DO are looking to broaden this stylistic spectrum; albariño, whether in single-varietal expressions or in blends, is especially versatile in this part of the world.

The Archetypal Coastal Wine 

Taking its name from the Galician term for “Lower Rivers”—referring to the four finger-shaped estuaries that carve their way into the region’s southwestern edge—Rías Baixas embodies the archetype of the coastal wine region. A land of brisk, mineral-driven whites made from a range of native grapes—from loureiro and treixadura to caiño blanco and godello—its star is undoubtedly albariño, a thick-skinned, especially aromatic white varietal that accounts for 96 percent of plantings.

In keeping with historical precedent, the vines across Rías Baixas are typically grown en parra (on extended, rectangular canopies secured by granite posts), which allows air to circulate around the fruit, protecting it from rot in the region’s unusually humid microclimates. But in some cases, growers will utilize more traditional trellising methods; vines at Alto de Torona, for example, are trained in rows that cover the south-facing slopes of Mount Galelo, while those at Pazo San Mauro, located to the east, are semi-trellised, using cordon training, and planted in terraces that descend downwards, terminating at the shores of the Miño River.

Rias Baixas Wine

Four Rivers, Five Sub-Regions

While we tend to speak of Rías Baixas as a single cohesive region, the area actually contains a broad spectrum of microclimates, shaped by the flow of its rivers and the chilly influence of the Atlantic. These terroir-based distinctions have been codified into five separate sub-regions: Ribeira do Ulla, Val do Salnés, Soutomaior, Condado do Tea and O Rosal.

Although recent efforts have attempted to highlight the unique identities of these sub-zones, it’s not uncommon for wineries to source grapes from across several of them. The immensely popular entry-level bottling from Martín Códax, for example, incorporates fruit from the Val do Salnés, O Rosal and Condado do Tea to offer a composite picture of the region’s identity.

On a more micro level, however, locals tend to draw a distinction between the growing areas that lie closer to the ocean and those situated further inland. Wines sourced exclusively from the colder, wetter coastal area of Val do Salnés—such as the lively, green apple-scented Condes de Albarei Albariño, or that from Pazo Señorans—display increased acidity and freshness, immediately conjuring their proximity to the sea, benefitting too from the area’s granitic soils, which lend a pronounced mineral edge.

By contrast, wines from the southerly inland area of Condado do Tea, located just across the river Miño from Portugal, reflect the generosity of a warmer, sunnier climate. Riper and richer, with softer acidity and typically a higher alcohol content, they signal the fleshier side of albariño. The lush tropical fruit flavors encountered in the Laxas albariño from the As Laxas estate, and those found in the Robaliño bottling from the Señorío de Rubiós winery, are designed to hold their own when paired with meats like chicken or pork.

Riffing on Tradition 

These geographical distinctions aren’t the only factors that determine the stylistic spectrum that Rías Baixas albariño is capable of inhabiting. Equally important is the variety of tools and technical choices available to winemakers in the cellar.

If we can speak of a “traditional” style of Rías Baixas, it would be synonymous with the refreshing, tank-fermented wines that have defined the style for years. More recently, however, producers have taken it upon themselves to expand the region’s expressive possibilities, striking a deeper note.

Notably, this has involved aging albariños for extended periods of time in contact with their lees, resulting in denser, more pungent and elaborately structured wines that attempt to demonstrate the wines’ ageability. One could easily imagine, for instance, the fuller-bodied expression from the Vionta winery—located in the heart of Val do Salnés—developing additional complexity with a little time in bottle.

Certain wineries have even experimented with aging their wines in oak, too, resulting in an even rounder profile. The Lagar da Condesa project, for example, partially ferments its albariño in 500- or 600-liter barrels, allowing the remaining wine to age on the lees for approximately four months. Creamy and mouth-coating, with notes of baking spice and meyer lemon, the finished product makes the case for a broader definition of what albariño from Rías Baixas can be.