2023 Lagar de Pintos “Castiñeira” Albariño, Val do Salnés, D.O. Rias Baixas, Galicia, Spain.
I was delighted and impressed by this latest Castiñeira Albariño by Bodega Lagar de Pintos, which saw the hand harvested organic grapes, 100% de-stemmed, get a long and gentle pressing all with gravity flow, with a spontaneous fermentation exclusively done in stainless steel tank, making for a salty crisp example that begs for briny sea foods. This vintage sees a new label, but has the classic aromatics, tangy apple, which peach and racy citrus of pure Albariño, along with a lighter framed medium bodied palate, delicate lime flower bouquet, with steely mineral character and some wet stone, tart herbs, almond, verbena and, the region’s famed sea shore, saline influence iodine. Located in Galicia, the Ria Baixas zone, planted almost exclusively to Albariño, is in Spain’s cool climate northwest corner, right on the Atlantic Ocean and is separated from northern Portugal by the Miño River. Within the Rias Baixas DO region there are 5 sub-zones, including Val do Salnés, seen here, Condado do Tea, O Rosal, Ribeira do Ulla, and Soutomaior, with the Val do Salnés being the most famous and maybe the most sought after by Albariño fans and home to some of the most respected growers and vintners. In recent times I’ve found some fabulous small producers in the region to look for with Nanclares y Prieto being maybe my favorite these days, though I do adore the classic Do Ferreiro wines too, which usually see an extended lees elevage, are the most sought after in all of the Rias Baixas. The US importer, Luis Moya says he can’t get enough of this wine and even gets the owners here to cut short the aging of this Albariño, so he can get it out as fast as possible!
The Lagar de Pintos estate is located in the Salnés Valley town of Ribadumia, just a bit inland from Cambados, is run by a 4th generation winemaker, Marta Castro-Pintos, who converted the vines to organic farming in the early 2000s. The vines grow just a few miles from the cool Atlantic Ocean, which is highlighted in the wine’s intense salinity and acidity, and the US version of Marta’s Albariño is given just five months of lees aging in the tank before bottling to capture that fresh detail. The sub zone of Val do Salnés is known as the best area for top notch Albariño and seeing this on the label almost guarantees the quality and style of the wine, and that certainly is the case here with this 2023 Castiñeira, which has just arrived in the States. The Rias Baixas region received its Spanish Denominación de Origen or D.O. in 1988, but had been known for its unique terroir and delicious Albariño for ages and it is believed that the Albariño grape was originally introduced to Galicia back in the 12th century by the Cistercian monks, who were at the historic Monastery of Armenteira. Albariño makes up around 90% of all the plantings, though there is also small amounts of Loureira, Treixadura, Godello, Espadeiro, Sousón, Mencía (Jaen), Brancellao, Caiño Blanco and Torrontés grown here, almost all of which, are also found in nearby Portugal as well. This Val do Salnés area has soils that are generally rocky and mostly alluvial by nature, that adds to the mineral note in the wines. To keep the grapes healthy, vines are usually grown on pergolas to keep them higher off the ground, which allows for better aeration and helps to avoid fungal disease that is often a risk in these damp climates. I am thrilled to have found this Lagar de Pintos Castiñeira, it is a great value and I look forward to enjoying this one over the next 2 to 3 years.
($21 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive