Vina Mein Ribeiro 2017
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In 1988, Javier Alén was part of the first generation to explore Ribeira’s lost fame, replanting 40 acres of vines in the hills above the Avia River to local varieties. In 2013, he hired Dani Landi and Fernando García to take charge of the vineyards and winemaking. Best known for Comando G, their old-vine garnacha from the hills above Madrid, they brought their interest in organic farming and soon transformed Alén’s vineyards and winery to produce wines like this blend, focused on treixadura (70 percent), with godello, albariño, loureira, torrontés and lado. It’s rare to find a $26 white wine—from anywhere—with this kind of subtle energy and engaging complexity. The wine is immediately delicious, offering a pale tropical-fruit flavor, as creamy-rich as cherimoya, but completely white. That flavor feels misty and sunny, lasting on open-ended lusciousness. It’s either the texture or the flavor that will keep you wanting more. Get some.
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The village white 2017 Viña Mein comes from different vineyards around the property, some ten of the 17 existing hectares. The vineyards are mostly east facing, the white on the bank of the Avia (the reds were traditionally planted on the opposite side). As with the other 2017s, there's less fruit and more soil, more precision and seriousness, picking the Treixadura early to get more finesse rather than volume and riper notes. It's mostly Treixadura with some 20% other white grapes—Godello, Loureiro, Albariño and Torrontés—fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts and kept with lees for some six to eight months. It's 12% alcohol, with some white fruit and floral notes and good tension in the palate. This is very young and undeveloped and will surely be better with a little more time in bottle.
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Since 1988, the Vina Mein and Emilio Rojo estates have strived to express the origin and terroir of one of the more prolific winemaking areas in Spain – The Avia Valley – whose viticulture heritage dates back to the 11th Century when the San Clodio Monastery transformed the area into the heart of wine production in Ribeiro.
These wineries are committed to continuing that legacy in their focus to revitalize this once-forgotten, ancestral wine region through bottling the emotion of its landscape and the richness of its native varieties: Treixadura, Godello, Albarino, Loureira, Torrontes and Lado.
In 2019, these iconic wineries joined the Alma Carraovejas family as a means of further preserving this viticulture heritage and promoting the undiscovered potential of authentic Ribeiro wines. Vina Mein is now made under the supervision of renowned enologist, Laura Montero, while Emilio Rojo continues to lead the charge of his emblematic white wine.
The Avia Valley's landscape is defined by granite bedrock, thermal hot springs and historical, terraced vineyards that line the valley hillsides and riverbanks. The local soil is known as "Sabrego," a Galician word for this specific type of soil comprised of a decomposed granite base mixed with clay and sand. It's this region's "Sabrego" soil and its vineyards' varying slopes, aspects, altitudes and microclimates that give the Avia Valley such a unique identity.
White grapes are used in two famous types of Spanish wine, Sherry and Cava, but we will limit this discussion to still whites. Let’s begin with perhaps the best known and most highly regarded internationally, Albariño . Produced in the region of Rías Baixas, just above Portugal in northwestern Spain, Albariño typically sees no or little oak and is medium to medium-plus in body. Aroma and flavor notes often include citrus and peach, often with subtle floral notes and a suggestion of sea spray, giving the wine a zesty feel. Often bottled as a single varietal, Albariño is sometimes blended with other indigenous grapes like Loureira and Treixadura. Try one of these Spanish whites from Forjas del Salnes.
Let’s look at a few other Spanish white wines. Godello also hails from northwestern Spain and presents a profile of grapefruit, minerality and a slight smoky quality. Enjoy a bottle from Bodegas Avancia. The region of Rueda, northwest of Madrid, is home to Verdejo , which makes refreshing, un-oaked white wines whose herbal vibrancy recalls Sauvignon Blanc . Protos makes a tasty version. Up north in the Basque region, we find the wine called Txakoli (sometimes called Txakolina). Pronounced “sha-ko-LEE,” it’s made from a local grape called Hondurrabi Zuri and is light, fresh, citrusy, dry … and with razor sharp acidity that makes it a fantastic partner with local seafood and tapas. Ameztoi Gertariako is a good Spanish white wine producer to check out.
The Penedѐs region, best known for the oceans of delicious Cava it sends to the world, also produces still Spanish whites, sometimes from international varieties like Chardonnay , and often from the same grapes used for Cava. These include Parellada, Xarel-lo and Macabeo. Avaline produces a fine example of Penedes white. Finally, we visit the Rioja region. While it is historically and internationally famous for its reds, Rioja also produces fine Spanish white wines. These are usually based on Viura (the local name for Macabeo) and make good everyday sippers, although some aged versions can be stunningly complex. A good place to start is the white Rioja from Bodegas Muga.
As you can see, Spanish white wines offer a vast opportunity for exploration!