Pazo Barrantes Gran Vino Albariño

Rías Baixas, Spain

Vintage:2021 (Current)

2019 (Past) | 2020 (Past) |

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Pazo Barrantes Gran Vino Albariño 2021
  • WA 94+
  • V 92
  • WS 90

Reviews

The Wine Advocate 94+ Points July 11, 2024, Luis Gutiérrez

The 2021 Gran Vino Albariño is the third vintage of this new cuvée from their 12 hectares in eight different plots (Cacheiro, Huerta, Besada, Eira, Ferradiña, Ferradura, Tomadiña and Souto) in the Valle del Salnés plus a further hectare rented from the archbishop. The destemmed grapes were pressed and the must let to settle and then fermented in stainless steel for around 30 days. The wine was kept with the lees in stainless steel for six months and then a further six months without the lees. Fifteen percent of the volume matured in acacia wood barrels. It was kept in bottle for around 20 months before being sold. It has 13.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.25 and seven grams of acidity (tartaric). It's pale and elegant, insinuating, perfumed, floral and subtle. It's lighter but very vibrant, and it's fresh and with volume and very tasty flavors. This could be the finest vintage to date—elegant, clean, classical and Atlantic. 105,274 numbered bottles and 1,827 magnums produced. It was bottled in July 2022. The wine is released almost two years after the harvest.

Wine Spectator 90 Points May 6, 2024, Alison Napjus

A silky white, offering grainy pear, chamomile and beeswax notes layered with sleek, mandarin orange peel–infused acidity, with tropical hints of guava and pineapple. A push of salinity sweeps through toward the finish, offering a tangy frame for the hints of white blossoms, vanilla and lime peel. Drink now through 2029.

Vinous Media 92 Points December 2023, Joaquín Hidalgo

The 2021 Albariño Gran Vino emerges from Rías Baixas, with 15% undergoing fermentation in acacia barrels. This yellow wine with a greenish sheen exudes a tropical bouquet of melon, lime, green apple and herbs. Dry and rich, it presents a creamy flow and a saline palate that lingers with multiple layers—truly a delightful white.

Overview

Pazo de Barrantes, a wine that captures the subtle flavor and freshness of albariño, comes from one of the largest single estates in Salnés Valley, Rías Baixas D.O. of Galicia, Spain. The wine’s true albariño character is a direct reflection of the Creixell family’s core values of quality and estate-owned vineyards, paired with a modern winemaking approach and the latest technology.

The grapes used to elaborate the wine are sourced from Pazo de Barrantes estate, with 30 acres divided into 8 different plots located around the winery. The shallow soils of the estate are granitic with sand on the surface and the average age of the vineyard is 40 years. The vines are trained high on supporting wires in the ‘parral’ trellis system (also known as Parron), as is the local tradition, to guard against mildew and rot, and to assist ripening.

Winemaking

After an exhaustive hand-picked selection, the grapes are destemmed and pressed gently and slowly in a pneumatic press. The must is decanted by flotation to ensure greater aromatic purity and then fermented at 10ºC in stainless steel tanks for approximately 30 days. After fermentation, the wine remains in contact with fine lees for three months inside the stainless steel tank.

The wine ages six months in stainless steel tanks, of which 15% in 225-litre acacia wood barrels followed by 16 months in bottle.

Tasting Notes

Enveloping nose with intense aroma of nectarine and yellow plum, hints of acacia blossom and fennel on a balsamic background. Vibrant and expressive in the mouth, it reveals the freshness of the vintage on a lively palate that leads to a broad and persistent finish.

Food Pairing

Pairs beautifully with grilled queen scallop over truffled potatoes and cavia, mille-feuille filled with smoked eel, white asparagus pudding, white shrimp with mint, marinated sardine, grapefuit jam and blood orange. The suggested serving temperature is 52ºF.

Technical Information

Varietals: 100% Albariño

Wine Alcohol: 13.5%

Harvest Start Date: September 18, 2021

Harvest End Date: September 28, 2021

Bottling Date: July 2022

Soil Composition: Granitic with sand on the surface

Average Vine Age: 40 years