Do Ferreiro Albariño ‘Lourido’ 2023

93+pts Wine Advocate (2022, 2023 not yet rated)
The 2022 Lourido feels quite austere and closed. It comes from low-yielding old vines on shallow granite soils that deliver vertical wines with good ripeness, polished acidity and a bitter twist in the finish. 2,500 bottles were filled in July 2023. Drinking Window: 2024 - 2030

Gerardo Méndez and his family work 165 plots of vines, a total of 14 hectares in the Valle del Salnés in Rías Baixas. 2021 is a classical vintage going back to the weather from yesteryear; 2022, which they compare with 2010, is an extreme vintage with very dry and warm weather.

Lourido is a 65+ year-old albariño vineyard planted on decomposed granite soils near the town of O Facho in the Salnés subzone of Rías Baixas, just 200 meters from the Ría de Arousa, facing the Isla de la Toja. The roots of the vines are able to easily penetrate the decayed, friable granite and dig very deep into the soil, ideal for producing structured white wine. This site is in a protected valley which does not get fog, so the minerality, fruit and terroir components of the site are entirely transparent. The vines here are pergola-trained, using a Cazanave-Marcón pruning style. Lourido is a lively, fresh Albariño with citrus, white fruit and dried herb aromas. The palate has excellent acidity, good tension and an intense, long finish. Capable of developing in bottle for 10 years or more.

• Region: Rías Baixas – Val do Salnés
• Site: Lourido at 20m
• Grapes: Albariño
• Vine Age: 50 years
• Soil: Decomposed granite
• Vinification: In the winery, grapes are destemmed, cold-macerated, and pressed. A natural yeast fermentation begins using a pied de cuve from the winery’s history Cepas Vellas vineyard, followed by aging on the lees for 9 months in stainless steel.
• Aging: Nine months on the lees in stainless steel without bâtonnage
• Farming: Practicing organic