White Wines Gems from Galicia

White Wines from Galicia

Thanks to the people at the winery of Terras Gauda in the Galicia, I’ve becoming better acquainted with the wines of Rías Baixas and with its sub zone in the valley of O Rosal in particular. It has been a very happy introduction.


Review of red wines from this company here

Terras Gauda, O Rosal, Rias Baixas 2011, 12.5% abv.

 

They call this “the flagship wine of the winery”, in the sense that they make more of it (1,200,000 bottles) than any other. The vines are estate grown in the valley and the wine’s personality comes from a blend of Albarino (70%), Loureiro (18%) and Caíño Blanco (12%).

It is an inviting clean greenish yellow in the bottle with aromas of peach and flowers. The generous nose is followed by a complex mouthfeel, no shortage of minerality or freshness. The stunning crispness and acidity is further revealed in a delightful long finish.

The summer of 2011 was a good one for the vines in the area and Terras Gauda made the best of it. Well worth a try. Highly recommended. Take note also that they recommended drinking it young!

Food matching. “The wine is rich on the palate and deserves seafood, especially oysters and crab, perfect with Asian Cuisine with rich and spicy sauces.” Well worth a try. Highly recommended.

Terras Gauda, Abadia de San Campio Albarino, Rías Baixas 2011, 12.5% abv.

This 100% Albarino, fresh and fragrant, is joy in its bottle with the distinctive beautiful blue labels. Colour is a clean green tinged yellow with definite traits of citrus and banana on the nose. The palate is filled with the fruit sensations. Yet is very well balanced with quite a long engaging finish. Excellent overall, shows the magnificent qualities of this increasingly popular grape. Very highly recommended.

Once again, aging is not recommended. You will also see some experts, such as Hugh Johnson Clarke, giving this the DYA designation, meaning drink youngest available! You’ve been warned!

Food matching: Enjoy chilled on a hot summer day. Wonderful pairing with shellfish: oyster, clam and crab. Enjoy with spicy Asian cuisine.

Terras Gauda, La Mar, Rías Baixas 2010, 12.7%abv.

A richer colour here and gorgeous aromatics on the nose. The same richness continue on the palate and yet there is an excellent balance. Very highly recommended indeed.

Just 20,000 bottles of this wine were made. The grapes used are Caíño Blanco (85%), Albarino (10%) and Loureiro (5%). The Caíño is a long cycle late ripening grape, more subject therefore to the whims of the weather and also “known for its scarce production...the least productive of the Galician varieties”.

Bottled in July 2011 and released last December, the makers say it will continue to evolve “in a period of at least three years...acquiring complexity and maturity”.

Food matching: Its high acidity makes it a perfect pairing for fish and seafood, but its powerful body and volume enlarges its pairing range to stews or roasted meats, and special or slightly spicy hot dishes.