Wine package Klarewijn Podcast #53 Northwest Spain is Cool!

Alma de Autor Godello - € 16.60

Galician white wines are being discovered. The best-known name from northwestern Spain is the already widely available Rías Baixas, but further inland Galicia offers undiscovered gems.

For example in Monterrei. Almost 70% of the wine production is white. In the higher vineyards on the border between Atlantic and Mediterranean influences, the grapes ripen a little further than in the coastal Rías Baixas. This results in wines with the characteristic Galician freshness combined with a nice full taste.

Take Manuel Mendez' Alma de Autor for example. Manuel makes this beautiful white wine from godello grapes from a plot with fifty year old vines. The vineyard, which is less than a hectare in size, is right next to the bodega. A great advantage, because almost immediately after the manual harvest, the grapes come the grapes are already in the cellar where Manuel immediately starts the vinification.

Because Manuel ferments and matures the wine exclusively in stainless steel tanks, his Godello is beautifully pure and fruity. Very suitable with fish, shellfish, white meat and even pasta.

Ramón do Casar Ribeiro Treixadura - € 17.70

Treixadura is not only considered the 'queen of Ribeiro', but is also the specialty of the leading bodega Ramón do Casar. In addition to a traditional blend, this winery also makes beautiful white wines from a single grape variety. Their Treixadura is so good that the wine has already been has been voted the best white wine of Ribeiro several times.

The grapes are planted in vineyards in the Miño Valley, on poor granite soils. This relatively humid, cool sub-region produces wines with tension, freshness and depth and pleasantly modest alcohol levels. Once optimally ripe, the grapes are picked by hand.

Renowned Spanish oenologist Pablo Estévez oversees the work in the cellar. After a soft pressing, fermentation follows at cool temperatures in stainless steel tanks, to preserve as much of the beautiful aromas of the Treixadura as possible. After five months of maturation with the yeasts for some extra filling follows bottling.

Anyone who tastes the Treixadura will immediately understand why this is the queen of the region. What a distinctive, harmonious white wine! With its seductive aroma of peach, pear and grapefruit and a round, unctuous, but also fresh and precise taste, this is a delicious glass to drink as such, but certainly also a gastronomic wine. An asset to our Galicia range.

Veiga da Princessa Rias Baixas Albarino - € 16.40

What a deliciously juicy, elegant white wine! It is not without reason that Albariño of this level is very popular in Spanish gastronomy. But also in the Netherlands the beautiful white wines from Galicia are strongly on the rise.

Manuel Mendez is the talented winemaker and owner of Bodegas Veiga da Princesa. With modern vines (so no traditional pergolas) and efficient pruning he ensures more sun and ventilation in his vineyard.

This allows the grapes to ripen much better and stay healthier than usual in the relatively cool and humid Galicia. In addition, the poor granite soil with its good drainage ensures high-quality grapes. Top conditions that explain why this juicy, fresh-tasting Veiga da Princesa is so good is.

Bodegas Forjas del Salnés Rías Baixas Leirana Finca Genoveva Albariño - € 37.95

Let's get straight to the point: this Finca Genoveva is one of the most beautiful and special white wines of Galicia. It is made by Rodrigo Méndez, owner and winemaker of the small top estate Forjas de Salnés. The bodega has only 7.5 hectares of vineyards and is located in Val do Salnés, the oldest and most renowned sub-appellation of Rías Baixas, right on the Atlantic Ocean.

Unlike many other winemakers in the area, Méndez is focused on the wine history of his region. He works with (particularly) old vines, almost forgotten local grape varieties and makes wines as they have been made here for centuries. The Finca Genoveva is the ultimate example of.

The grapes for this wine come from the eponymous, 2.5-hectare private vineyard. Finca Genoveva has been in the family for five generations and was lovingly cared for by Genoveva at the beginning of the twentieth century. After her death, her daughter Lola took over the care of the vineyard and bottled white and red wine from it annually. Lola is now in her nineties and found it increasingly difficult to care for the vineyard.

Just as she was about to harvest the vines, Rodrigo discovered the vineyard. He knew immediately that he was dealing with something special. The vines are between 90 and 200 years old and are planted in an amphitheater, on poor, granite soils. The vineyard has never suffered from the phylloxera plague. Rodriogo managed to gain Lola's trust and since then, in exchange for caring for and maintaining the vineyard, he has been allowed to harvest grapes to make this wine.

In the cellar, Méndez - inspired by Spanish legend Raúl Pérez (friend and advisor) and by Lola's simple, traditional way of working - is restrained. No yeasts are added and the temperature is not controlled during fermentation. Just like in the old days. Before bottling, the wine matures the wine with the yeasts for a year in large oak barrels. That this procedure can produce magnificent wines is proven by the fact that Lola's wines of twenty years old are still in exceptionally good condition.

The Finca Genoveva is a beautiful, unique, terroir-typical Albariño, with a wonderful tension and lively freshness, a salty touch and an endless aftertaste. You can taste the sea! This is the wine for fish and shellfish, but it is also delicious with many other dishes. Are you drinking it young? Then decanting is highly recommended. Storing is also possible, perhaps twenty years.

Bodegas Raúl Pérez Bierzo Ultreia Saint Jacques Mencía - € 16.95

They do exist: wines that taste twice as good as their price suggests. This Saint Jacques from Bierzo is one of them. This is not entirely surprising, because it is made by one of the most respected and most idiosyncratic winemakers in Spain: Raúl Pérez .

Although Pérez is active in several Spanish wine regions and even in Portugal and South Africa, he is rooted in Bierzo. This is where he was born, in the village of Valtuille de Abajo, and where he also started making wine, on the centuries-old estate of the Pérez family, Castro Ventosa.

Ultreia is Raúl's first own label and gave him his worldwide cult status. The name refers to the fact that the Camino de Santiago passes through Valtuille. The Latin word 'ultreia' means something like 'forward' and was used by the pilgrims to greet each other The Saint Jacques is the red 'entry level' wine in this series.

It is made from mencía, the blue grape of Bierzo, harvested in several plots in Valtuille. Raúl's winemaking style is very minimalist: his goal is pure expression of terroir, grape and vintage. After the manual harvest, a spontaneous fermentation with whole bunches follows in wooden barrels. After barrel maturation the wine is bottled unfiltered.

Not only us, but also greats like Jancis Robinson and The Wine Advocate are blown away by the sublime quality of this super charming Bierzo. Wild red fruit, spiciness, smokiness and minerality in the aroma, a smooth, round taste with beautiful freshness and complexity and a enormous storage potential. And all that for an incredibly modest price. Don't miss it, because this wine is very popular!

Bodegas Raúl Pérez Bierzo La Vizcaína Las Gundiñas - € 29.20

Although Raúl Pérez makes wines in various parts of Spain and also in Portugal and South Africa, his name is most closely associated with the northwestern Spanish region of Bierzo. Not only was he born here, Raúl is also one of the important pioneers which put the special terroir of this region on the international wine map.

One of Raúl's projects in his native village of Valtuille de Abajo is the special series of La Vizcaína wines, dedicated to the old crus around the village. Las Gundiñas is one of them. The vines in this 2.2 hectare vineyard are over a hundred years old. old. The limestone and clay soils are planted with mencia, bastardo, garnacha tintorera and doña blanca.

Raúl harvests the grapes when the individual varieties are optimally ripe. Once picked, the bunches of grapes ferment in vats. A fairly long maceration of 30-60 days and a year of maturation in used barrels follow. Finally, Raúl bottles the wine without filtering or clarifying. – so some sediment may remain in the bottle.

Because Las Gundiñas has a fairly rich, fertile soil, this wine is usually the most accessible and fruity of the La Vizcaína wines. The structure is powerful, while the finish is a touch earthy. A beautiful, gastronomic wine to use in table, for example with hearty meat dishes.

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