2021 Cume do Avia, Ribeiro Branco, Colleita 9, Galicia, Spain.
One of Spain’s most interesting newer producers and led by Diego Collarte and his brother Álvaro, who both grew up in Vigo, Cume do Avia makes some beautifully crafted terroir driven Galician wines from very close to the Portuguese border, made all from native varietals grown with organic methods. I have been following the wines of this region for more than 15 years and I’m still discovering so many intriguing new treasures that has been producing wines since pre-Roman times, and Cume do Avia is a great find, mostly known for their collection of reds, which include a mix of rare grapes such as Caiño Longo, Souson and Brancellao. That said, this Ribeiro Branco “Colleita 9” is a stunning mineral intense white with stony, saline and floral aromatics and a fine dry crisply detailed palate of racy citrus, white peach, green apple and tangy quince fruits along with wet rock, almond, delicate herbs, spice and sea shore notes. Light to medium bodied, this wine is somewhere between a Sancerre and Chablis in style, picking up depth with air and showing some texture, complexity and dimension as it opens, while staying taut and zesty throughout, thanks to the cool climate natural acidity.
The Cume do Avia “Colleita 9” Ribeiro Branco comes from organic vines set in local Atlantic influenced parcels that are set on rocky and sandy soils with clay, along with a combination of complex elements that include granodiorite, gneiss and flinty slate with a selection of Treixadura, Albarino, Loureira, Lado and Caiña Branco grapes. These interplanted indigenous grapes are co-fermented with native yeasts in stainless steel and only aged about 6 months in the tank on the lees, all to preserve the vitality and freshness here. These Cume do Avia wines are serious efforts that deserve your attention, though they have a friendly and easy to drink personalities they very much carry the essence and soul of the region in the bottle. This Colleita 9 should not be overlooked, it really impresses and will be a great alternative white for the warm days of summer ahead and is sublime with shellfish and briny sea foods, as well as soft cheeses, its salty brightness makes it compelling for those that like bone dry lighter framed wines. Cume do Avia’s lineup is filled with low alcohol and rawly transparent offerings that have a natural feel to them, those that like other new stars from Galicia, like Laura Lorenzo, Luis Rodriguez, Guimaro and Nanclares will instantly feel comfortable with these lovely wines. I recommend Cume do Avia’s Dos Canotos Tinto, their Colleita 9 Tinto (red) and this Colleita 9 Branco (white), they are not easy to find, but worth the chase.
($32 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive