Santiago Ruiz Rias Baixas O Rosal Albarino 2022

Ángel Ruiz, the grandfather of the eponymous Santiago Ruiz, was making wine here in the 1860s and was one of the first people to bottle wines from the region we now know as Rías Baixas. Santiago however was the first to market the Estate wines. Ruiz was nicknamed 'The Father of Albariño' for the vital role he played in the establishment of the Rías Baixas DO in the late 1980s. Today, the estate is run by Santiago's daughter Rosa.

The core vineyards lie at Tomiño in O Rosal--the most southerly of Rías Baixas' five sub-zones--on sandy alluvial soils over granite bedrock Situated on the top lip of the river Miño (which marks the border with Portugal).

A wine labelled with the sub-regional designation of O Rosal must contain Loureiro, and here (where the component hovers around 10%) the controlled yields of the variety bring ripe citric drive and notes of blossom to the blend. With an unusually high percentage of Albariño this year, the 2021 weighs in at 76% Albariño, 11% Loureiro and 5% Treixadura, with the balance Caíño Blanco and Godello. Each variety fermented individually and was raised for six months on lees in stainless steel before blending and bottling.

Country: Spain
Region: Rias Baixas