Winemaker Notes
The famed Cepas Vellas Albariño from Do Ferreiro, one of Spain’s iconic white wines capable of long aging and improvement in bottle, is sourced from a single 1.5ha Albariño vineyard in front of the winery in the Salnés Valley, planted in 1785. The historic vines are pergola trained and pruned with the Cazenave-Marcon method. Considered by many to be the apex expression of Rías Baixas Albariño, Cepas Vellas now stands with the great white wines of the world. Properly cellared, Cepas Vellas is capable of improving for 10 to 20 years.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
I love the purity, nuance and balance of the 2020 Albariño Cepas Vellas. After a long time in the glass, there are hints of botrytis, dried apricots and beeswax, a little less than in the 2019. There is great complexity and balance here; it is one of the finest vintages of Cepas Vellas that I remember. This is produced with grapes from the ancient, centenary vines that surround the house and winery in Meaño. This is produced like the rest of the wines—a simple and natural process and aging in stainless steel with the fine lees. It has the austere texture of the granite soils.
Bright and aromatic with distinctive floral and fruity characteristics, Albariño has enjoyed a surge in popularity and an increase in plantings over the last couple of decades. Thick skins allow it to withstand the humid conditions of its homeland, Rías Baixas, Spain, free of malady, and produce a weighty but fresh white. Somm Secret—Albariño claims dual citizenship in Spain and Portugal. Under the name Alvarinho, it thrives in Portugal’s northwestern Vinho Verde region, which predictably, borders part of Spain’s Rías Baixas.
Named after the rías, or estuarine inlets, that flow as far as 20 miles inland, Rías Baixas is an Atlantic coastal region with a cool and wet maritime climate. The entire region claims soil based on granite bedrock, but the inlets create five subregions of slightly different growing environments for its prized white grape, Albariño.
Val do Salnés on the west coast is said to be the birthplace of Albariño; it is the coolest and wettest of all of the regions. Having been named as the original subregion, today it has the most area under vine and largest number of wineries.
Ribeira do Ulla in the north and inland along the Ulla River is the newest to be included. It is actually the birthplace of the Padrón pepper!
Soutomaior is the smallest region and is tucked up in the hills at the end of the inlet called Ria de Vigo. Its soils are light and sandy over granite.
O Rosal and Condado do Tea are the farthest south in Rías Baixas and their vineyards actually cover the northern slopes of the Miño River, facing the Vinho Verde region in Portugal on its southern bank.
Albariño gives this region its fame and covers 90% of the area under vine. Caiño blanco, Treixadura and Loureira as well as occasionally Torrontés and Godello are permitted in small amounts in blends with Albariño. Red grapes are not very popular but Mencía, Espadeiro and Caiño Tinto are permitted and grown.