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
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.
