Gran Vino de Guarda La Comtesse 2017

The 2017 La Comtesse has been a vin de garde since its initial vintage of 2009. It comes from a small plot, the 1.4-hectare Pago Cacheiro, of the oldest (50 years) and lowest-yielding vines on the Pazo de Barrantes property. The destemmed grapes from the hand-harvested bunches were pressed slowly by a pneumatic press. The juice was let to settle and then fermented in 3,000-liter French (Allier) oak vats at 10 degrees Celsius for 60 days. The wine was kept in the oak vats for 15 months, five of them with the lees. After that time, it was transferred to concrete vats where it matured for a further 13 months. Like its younger sibling, the élevage was extended with the idea of increasing the age-worthiness of the bottled wine. It's 13.5% alcohol, with a pH of 3.4 and 6.2 grams of tartaric acid per liter of wine. It has a very expressive nose, and curiously enough, this is more fruit driven than the Gran Vino Albariño, which is more balsamic. This is a very harmonious Albariño that has varietal character and is impressive and young, without the creamy character of some previous vintages. It's vibrant and has a citrus touch on the palate that reflects a very fresh wine, but at the same time, it's polished and has a soft texture. 8,560 bottles were filled in April 2020.

A perfumed nose of white peaches, lemon curd, apples, jasmine, green olives and sea breeze. It’s medium-bodied with bright, tangy acidity. So flavorful and fruity with a mineral, salty edge. Some spiciness, too. Long. Drink now.