A graceful white, with well-honed acidity aligned to flavors of ripe pear, tangerine peel, white cherry, vanilla and almond. An underlying streak of salinity provides a lively tang to the detailed flavor range and drives the mouthwatering finish, which shows delicate floral, graphite and spice notes. Drink now through 2030.

The La Comtesse bottling from Pazo Barrantes is their old vine cuvée, with these Albariño vines having been planted in 1965. The wine is fermented in a three thousand liter oak vat and then aged for the first year in the same vessel, with the wine racked after two months of lees contact and then returned to the large vat. It spends a second year of aging in cement tank. The 2019 La Comtesse is the new release of this bottling and offers up a deep and complex, aged Chablis-like nose of pear, fresh apricot, dried flowers, a touch of beeswax, a nice foundation of soil tones, gentle smokiness and orange peel. On the palate the wine is vibrant, full-bodied and beautifully complex, with fine depth at the core, good soil signature and grip, fine balance and a long, mature and very classy finish. This is really a lovely bottle of Albariño that is drinking with the breed and complexity of full maturity, but has the underlying structure to also continue to age very nicely. Fine, fine juice. 2024-2035+.

“Aromas of mango, lemon zest and orange blossom waft from the glass. Striking pineapple and grapefruit flavors are joined by touches of vanilla and almond blossom that linger into the vivid finish.”

“Medium straw to the eye, this wine has a nose of Gala apple, butterscotch and slivered almond. It is full textured and offers a complex balance of citrus-fruit flavors, acidity and notes of toasted hazelnut. Brilliant orange and lemon flavors linger on the palate with just a kiss of vanilla.”

The 2019 Albariño Gran Vino de Guarda La Comtesse hails from Pago Chacheiro, a single vineyard planted in 1965 in Salnes, Rías Baixas. Fermented in oak and aged in concrete vats, this yellow wine features aromas of hops, orange peel and quince, complemented by apricot, jasmine and a delicate hint of oxidized green apple. Dry, creamy and saline, it lingers with a vibrant and tasty medlar finish. This is a truly complex and savory white that showcases the pristine coastal character of the Rías Baixas.