2022 Forjas del Salnés, Rías Baixas DO, Leirana (RT93) 100% Albariño, crafted from grapes grown from tiny terroirs in the coastally positioned Val do Salnés region. The beautiful, straw yellow expression of exquisitely balanced fruit and terroir shows ripe notes of honey melon, dusty lemon curd, white flowers and a pinch of honey, all laid over of backwash of the cool Atlantic seaside. With time in the glass the sense of terroir grows, the expresson is captivating. The palate is relatively rich and broadly fruited for such a normally leanly-fruited variety, further evidence of the terrific work performed from vineyard to bottling. The acidity is fresh and vivid leading to an excellent finish. This is top quality Albariño! Drink now-2028 to catch is glorious freshness! Tasted April 2025.
Winemaker Rodrigo Méndez is a fifth generation family member with centuries of winemaking heritage. He is considered one of the world’s premier Albariño producers crafting from small parcels in the coastal subzone of Val do Salnés of the Rías Baixas DO. This is an appellation founded by his grandfather. He honors his family’s legacy by leading the revival of nearly extinct local red varietals. These wines are crafted with organic, low-intervention methods, including use of indigenous yeast, long lees contact sans bâtonnage and minimal sulfur use.
The 2022 Leirana reflects a wine sourced from the ripe fruit ever-so-slightly lower acidity. Aged in 70% neutral oak casks with the balance in stainless, they don’t show it even the subtlest suggestion of oak. This wine represents the Salnés subzone revealing its terroir driven character to the max. It is somewhat large production with 40,000 bottles made.
