Galicia 2024 Tasting Report: A Return to Heritage

Nestled in the northwestern corner of Spain directly above Portugal, Galicia has long been a reliable source for exceptional white wines, particularly its prized albariño. With the Atlantic Ocean on its western and northern borders, the region is celebrated for distinctive offerings that embody freshness and salinity – qualities that have stood the test of time.

But Galicia has become a more captivating region for wine enthusiasts as it comes on strong with its red wines, from the compelling and approachable Ribeiro and Valdeorras offerings that draw comparisons to a combination of Northern Rhone with Beaujolais, to the delicate, incisive and charismatic reds produced in Rías Baixas. In all, it offers a promising vinous journey, like the one I took over the course of two weeks this summer, when I tasted 349 wines from the 2021, 2022 and 2023 vintages.

Galicia is home to five appellations: Rias Baixas, Ribeiro, Ribeira Sacra, Monterrei and Valdeorras. The dominating factor for all of them is the influence of the Atlantic Ocean, with Rias Baixas most affected since it is closest to the ocean, with the effect gradually waning as one ventures inland. Monterrei, Ribeira Sacra and Valdeorras experience more continental climates, reflecting the effects of rivers as well as bigger diurnal swings and usually lower preciptation.

“The contrast can be striking – today, while it rains on the Miño River, the sun shines over the Sil River,” Fernando Gonzalez, the owner and winemaker of Algueira, said of the winding rivers that shape the diverse microclimates within Ribeira Sacra, which is renowned for its stunning terraced vineyards that line the riverbanks of the Sil, Miño, and Cabe rivers.

Gonzalez and other producers in Ribeira Sacra have helped boost the appellation’s profile with their robust red wines, such as Gonzales's F. Algueira Ribeira Sacra Dolio 2020 as well as the Guímaro Mencía Ribeira Sacra Finca Pombeiras 2022 and Envínate Ribeira Sacra Lousas Parcela Seoane Vinos Atlánticos 2022, with the latter two coming from a warmer vintage with less rainfall, although a light drizzle during harvest helped to lower alcohol levels.

While climate is the defining feature across Galicia, a common thread among all regions is the concept of the minifundios, or smallholdings, that lie at the core of Galician viticulture.

“Here, we all come from smallholdings,” Pedro Rodriguez, the co-owner of Guimaro and its winemaker, said on misty morning in his vineyard in San Pedro de Baños. That culture of small- or even microholdings continues today with 229,000 registered growers in Galicia, according to Spain’s Viticultural Registry. That is nearly 40 percent of Spain's total, yet the vineyard surface area of Galicia is only 3.35 percent of the national total.

Rodriguez said his 15 hectares are divided into 688 distinct parcels. Nearby, Alfonso Torrente from Envinate collaborates with a grower who possesses eight parcels totaling less than half a hectare. This intricate mosaic results from inheritance partitions and geographical constraints like paths that cut through the land.

This fragmentation, according to Torrente, has played a vital role in preserving Galicia’s viticultural heritage, particularly in terms of vine clones and grape varieties, while paving the way for the vineyard hierarchy predominant among quality producers.

However, this complexity presents challenges, too. The two major wineries in Ribeira Sacra, which act as a kind of cooperative, opted not to purchase grapes this year due to the stock accumulation that occurred because of Covid-19, leaving over 200 growers without buyers in the appellation.

Long before they started bottling their single-vineyard offerings, Rodriguez's family would reserve grapes from specific parcels for personal use, believing them to be better than the others. Today, only one such parcel, Capeliños, is bottled, exemplifying the enduring cultural significance of vineyard hierarchy in Ribeira Sacra.

Rodrigo Mendez, the co-owner and winemaker of Forjas del Salnes, who works across 40 parcels in the village of Meaño in Rias Baixas, said that until the early 1990s most of the wine produced in Rias Baixas was sold locally. It wasn't until the early 2000s, with the arrival of the celebrated enologist Raul Perez from Bierzo, who then became Mendez’s business partner, that singular parcels began to be recognized, leading to significant improvements in quality. The introduction of thoughtful barrel aging and a more refined production sensibility contributed to this evolution.

Because of slightly warmer conditions, the 2022 vintage in Rias Baixas yielded whites that beautifully balance concentration with freshness, including the Rodrigo Méndez Rías Baixas Sálvora 2023 and Bodegas Fulcro Rías Baixas A Cesteira 2022. Mendez’s Forjas del Salnés Rías Baixas Finca Genoveva 2022 is also one of the country’s top whites, originating from a single two-hectare vineyard planted 180 years ago. It is an austere yet captivating wine, marked by concentration and depth, and it ages extraordinarily well.

Telmo Rodriguez, whose Compañia de Vinos is one of the most dynamic projects in Spain, arrived in Valdeorras in 2000. After nearly a decade of trials, he released his spectacular As Caborcas, believing that any particular vineyard parcel must genuinely stand out to be worthy of a single-vineyard bottling.

Each of Rodriguez’s vineyard plots is primarily planted with mencia but include varying proportions of indigenous grapes, lending a unique character to the wines produced from each plot. For Rodriguez, the differing orientations of the vineyard plots, as well as the undulating landscape surrounding the rivers, has a profound effect on the grapes and vineyard diversity, and ultimately enhances the profiles of the bottled product.

Yet, this very diversity can limit the output of producers like Rosa Pedrosa, the winemaker and co-founder of Narupa, a relatively young project that is making exciting albariños. Pedrosa says she only bottles when the climate and soil characteristics are in alignment. Her showcase wine, the Narupa Vinos Rías Baixas Salicornia 2022, is sourced from more inland vineyards where clay soils predominate. Despite being further away from the ocean, all her wines exhibit extraordinary salinity.

Although the minifundio system helps in understanding the characteristics of each vineyard parcel, it is the blended wines from several parcels that offer the best introduction to the diversity of Galicia. For example, the Lousas 2022 from Envinate, a blend of three riverine parcels, is a profound wine, and Guimaro’s Camiño Real, a blend of parcels from the Amandi subregion of Ribeira Sacra, is an excellent entry point to that area.

While this fragmentation poses challenges, such as increasing the competition for buyers and hindering brand building, it also allows for a more compete understanding of terroir and the creation of unique wines. The future of Galician wines lies in their ability to uphold this diversity.

TESTING TIMES

The climate has become a genuine challenge for vineyards in Galicia, with conditions testing the resilience of local producers. As one grower in Rías Baixas succinctly put it, “If it doesn’t have mildew, it’s not Rias Baixas.” This reflects the persistent struggle against mildew that defines viticulture in Galicia.

According to Alberto Nanclares, of Bodega Nanclares y Prieto in Rias Baixas, mildew issues typically peak between June and July; however, this year the first outbreaks came in April, complicating matters in the region. Many veteran winemakers lament that out of fear of losing their crops, they must use anti-mildew treatments that can weaken the plants. But they have little choice, saying that "it remains our greatest battle here."

Xurxo Alba, the owner and winemaker of Albamar in Rias Baixas, has taken a different approach: he manages at least one of his vineyards without treating it for mildew, but that tack came with a cost this year, as he lost over 80 percent of the crop in that vineyard.  In his other vineyards, he limits the use of treatments.

In Ribeiro, Bernardo Estevez adheres strictly to biodynamic practices, yet he, too, has faced substantial crop losses. His commitment to producing high-quality wines has garnered attention, especially during good vintages when his wines shine among the best of the appellation. Nevertheless, in the current climate, maintaining a biodynamic approach poses considerable challenges, particularly in regions most affected by the Atlantic influence, such as Rías Baixas and Ribeiro.

Despite the risk of losing more vintages, Estevez said he would continue to forgo chemical treatments. Yet, when conditions align favorably, he manages to produce some of the best wines the appellation has to offer.

A COMEBACK IN REDS

Although Ribeira Sacra has been Galicia’s most reliable supplier of unique and characterful red wines, particularly mencia-based blends, Ribeiro, Rias Baixas and Valdeorras have also been coming on strong. But production remains limited because many vineyards that had been planted to red grapes were ripped out and replaced with competitive white varieties.

Forjas del Salnes is one producer helping to lead a comeback of red varieties in Rias Baixas. Winemaker Manuel Moldes and his wife, Silvia, are turning heads with their exceptional pure espadeiro, which is crafted from old vines. This transparent and aromatic wine, which is completely destemmed and fermented in vats before aging for about 11 months in used barrels, originates from a single vineyard thought to be approximately 190 years old. Its unique planting in clay and schist is a rarity in a region predominantly characterized by granite.

In Ribeiro, meanwhile, Jose Pereiro Checuty of Vinedos dos Gabian planted three hectares of vineyards in 2011 within a striking amphitheater. Focusing exclusively on local red varieties, he has planted brancellao, caiño longo and caiño. His flagship wine, the Viñedos dos Gabián Ribeiro Gabián 2022 – named after a rock formation resembling a falcon found in the vineyard – showcases the essence of great Galician reds with its bright acidity and seductive red fruit notes.

As producers work to increase red wine production, it remains important to acknowledge the region's reputation for exceptional white wines. Albariños from Rías Baixas are celebrated as some of the finest whites in Spain, and its potential in the region has wineries like Vega Sicilia setting up operations there. The vibrant, saline quality of these wines underscores the region’s diverse viticultural potential.

Driving from Asturias toward Rias Baixas, I was intrigued by small patches of vineyards along the banks of the Navia River. Curiosity got the better of me, prompting a detour off the main road to explore these vineyards. The landscape is similar to Ribeira Sacra, with gentler slopes.

I stopped at a restaurant nestled within a small hamlet, which surprisingly also housed a winery, Adega Sidron. It was here that I encountered the owner, Paco Sanroman, and what started as a simple meal quickly turned into an impromptu tasting. The white wines, crafted predominantly from albarin blanco, were delicious, showcasing a vibrant combination of exuberance and bright acidity.

This emerging region falls under the newly established Protected Geographical Indication of Terra do Navia. Although it only has 18 hectares of vineyards, the wines produced here show a lot of promise, suggesting a bright future for this lesser-known corner of Galicia. But it's also indicative of the vibrancy of Galicia as a whole, and part of the broad wine mosaic that makes the region so special.

– Jacobo García Andrade, Senior Editor

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