3000 Cepas Albariño

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Lagar de Pintos is a family estate currently run by its 4th generation, winemaker Marta Castro-Pintos. The family home and winery are in a traditional Galician pazo, or manor house, in the Val do Salnés town of Ribadumia. The estate was originally a farmstead for raising sheep and cows, and in the 1950's the family planted grapevines. Marta’s father, Pepe Pintos, modernized the estate in the 1980's during the local revival of the Albariño grape variety. In the 2000’s, Marta converted all the vineyards to organic farming, and has been a pioneer on this front in Rías Baixas ever since. All four generations at the Lagar de Pintos winery have shared a single philosophy regarding their work: respect and commitment to the land. According to Marta, the essence and identity of Lagar de Pinto lies in its vineyards, which are treated with respect. The whole winery team strives for excellence, committed to maintaining a healthy, organic growing environment that can be highlighted by modern production processes such as strict grape selection at harvest.

WHAT MAKES THIS WINE UNIQUE?

The '3000 Cepas' (3,000 vines) cuvée is made from a manual selection of the estate’s oldest vines—many ungrafted—all over 60 years old. These old vines’ concentrated flavors, along with the intense acidity due to the lack of malolactic fermentation, produce an intense wine that can age for decades, but has the complexity and varietal expression to drink now.

RATING HISTORY:

2021 92WA, 91WE, 90Decanter

GRAPE:

100% Albariño planted in 1960 coming from several small plots in granite soil.

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS:

This wine pairs beautifully with Galician Pulpo preparations, all numbers of shellfish, white fish, and rice dishes.

VINIFICATION AND AGING:

After a gentle settling process, fermentation takes place in oak barrels, with weekly batonnage. The wine is aged for 12 months on its lees in the same barrel, without malolactic fermentation. The wine is then bottled and rests another year before release. Only 4,000 bottles are produced of this wine. Vegan wine.

LOCATION, SOIL, CLIMATE:

Located in Spain's upper northwest corner, Rías Baixas is just above the border with Portugal. Rías Baixas means low rivers, a reference to the area's many rivers that lead to the ocean. The landscape is low undulating hills, and the vineyard is planted on the slopes and on the flat valley floors. This area's climatic conditions give this wine an “Atlantic” character. Of the 5 subzones in Rías Baixas, Val do Salnés is the coolest due to the proximity of the Atlantic Ocean. Yearly rainfall is above 1,700 millimeters (66 inches), or what one would expect in one of the wettest regions in Spain. The area is quite foggy with an average temperature from April-October of 63.4 F.

TASTING NOTES:

Intense yellow in color with golden reflections. Complex aromas of ripe fruit, anise and white flowers integrated well with the oak. On the palate, it is powerful and voluminous, with elegant mineral notes and tertiary aromas from the well-integrated oak. Excellent lees texture is wrapped in the freshness typical of the variety.

ALCOHOL CONTENT:

12.5%

UPC CODE:

8427023004006