Tasting Notes: This is 100% hand-harvested Albariño, from pergola-trained vines grown in the slate and marine soils of the O Rosal valley, just a few miles from where the Minho river meets the A... tlantic Ocean. As is tradition, Juste prefers to leave the wine in extended contact with its lees following the harvest, which adds to the multi-faceted nature of the wine's aromatics and flavors. In the glass, this gorgeous white wine has a shimmering, pale yellow color, with flashes of silvery-green at the edge. Freshly grated lime zest, peach blossoms, white tea, and Meyer lemon emerge on the nose, along with hints of quince, sweet basil, green apple skin and jasmine, as the wine spends time in the glass. On the palate, the wine is graceful and streamlined, with citrus, floral and herbal elements that echo the nose, all seasoned with concentrated sea-spray minerality throughout a super clean, lip-smacking finish. Drink now-2027. Read More
-
The nine hectares of vineyards at Quinta Couselo date back to the twelfth century, when Cistercian monks from the Monastery of Santa María la Real de Oia tended to the grapevines. In 1864, Don Casimiro Dorado y Méndez acquired the property, which remained in the family until 2013, when his great-grandchildren sold the estate to José Manuel Martinez Juste and his partners. Juste grew up on his grandfather’s tiny vineyard in Ribadavia, the Galician town at the confluence of the Avia and Minho rivers, just over an hour inland from Quinta Couselo. Since obtaining his enology degree in Madrid, he has worked as a winegrower and consultant throughout Galicia, and from 2002-2014 was the president of the Galician Winemakers Association.
-
Located in the southwest corner of Spain, bordering Portugal, the DO, Rías Baixas (pronounced Ree-ass By-shass) takes its name from an ancient Galacian language term for "lower Rias." There are five distinct sub-regions: Ribeira do Ulla, Val do Salnés, Soutomaior, Condado do Tea, and O Rosal. These subzones vary widely in soils, altitude, and average temperature which leads to an array of distinct wines, the most famous of which are produced from the Albariño grape which encompasses over ninety percent of all the vineyard land. The O Rosal sub-zone's vines are planted on steeply terraced hills overlooking the Miño River as it empties into the Atlantic. This is a terrific area for seafood, and the wines pair perfectly.
-
The Albariño variety is native to the northwestern area of the Iberian Peninsula, and today, it is a prominent white grape in the Galicia region of Spain, as well as Portugal. This variety grows well in cool coastal climates, and its thick skins help to protect the grapes from mold in areas of high rainfall and humidity, such as Galicia. Particularly high quality Albariño wines can be produced in the Rías Baixas Denominación de Origen (DO) of Spain, where the vineyards benefit from mineral rich soils and salty ocean breezes. Dry, Albariño wines are characterized by notes of citrus fruits, pears, nectarines, honeysuckle, bright acidity, and saline minerality.
-
Grilled, olive oil-Laced seafood, whole-roasted fish, as well at pastas with diced tomato and herbs work very well with this wine.