Zarate Albariño Rias Baixas '24

Bodegas Zárate has been making high-quality Albariño in Rías Baixas since the mid-20th century. Today, the seventh-generation Eulogio Pomares is in charge of the bodega, and, much like his predecessors, he continues to focus on quality. Working with old vines and great terroirs, he makes Albariño wines that are among Galicia’s best.



The Zárate estate was founded in the classic Val do Salnés zone (“Salnés” refers to the salt flats that once covered the area; in Spanish and Galician, sal means “salt”). Formed by the lower reaches of the Umia River, the undulating slopes of xabre—weathered granite—soil and cool climate create the unique terroir of Val do Salnés. Here, Pomares farms the oldest documented Albariño vineyard in Rías Baixas—the pre-phylloxera El Palomar, planted in 1850—and several other top sites. Even the wines from Zarate’s younger plantings show distinctive depth, a result of the estate’s great vineyards and winemaking. 



The estate’s farming is almost fully biodynamic; the soil is worked manually, with cover crops used for genetic diversity, and biodynamic teas for vine and soil treatments. This approach is particularly notable given that the estate is in Spain’s coolest and wettest winegrowing region. All new plantings are massal selections from the estate’s oldest vines.



This bottling is the entry point to the estate’s range, sourced from estate vineyards averaging over 35 years in age, in the parishes of Sisán and Padrenda, in Val do Salnes. Fermentation is carried out with wild yeasts, and the wine is aged on the lees. 



Notes of citrus peel, grapefruit, nectarine, and green melon continuefrom the nose to the palate, with a salty, zesty finish. A great pairing for sashimi, oysters, and simply prepared shellfish.