Bodegas del Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño '19

Founded in 1904, Palacio de Fefiñanes is housed inside a spectacular baronial palace which sits on the lovely main square of coastal Cambados. The facility was built in 1647. They were the first producer to bottle wine under the D.O. Rías Baixas denomination, and the label design, which shows an engraving of the Fefiñanes Palace, dates back to 1928. In the Rias Baixas region, where the vineyards are quite windy due to the proximity of the Atlantic Ocean, the wine gains acidity and freshness. The winery has only a token acreage (.5 hectares) and buys its Albariño grapes from producers under long-term contract and with technical assistance from the winery's enologist. Vines are over 40 years old on average – some over 100 years old – and are all trained on trellises and planted on sandy soils, with some limestone and clay. The vineyards are grown at heights not much above sea level, enjoying the warm, damp Atlantic climate.  Believe it or not, it is actually difficult to find quality Albariño. This is consistently one of the best producers of Rías Baixas. They turned out an excellent 2019, with those classic tropical kiwi notes, along with citrus, stone fruit, salty minerality, and a long bright finish. This is showing so beautifully. Do as the Gallegos do and pair this with a hearty spread of oysters and shellfish.