Do Ferreiro Albariño and the Visionary Family that put the Variety on the Map

If you love crisp mineral driven white wines you owe a massive debt of gratitude to Do Ferreiro. Long before Rías Baixas was a thing, the Méndez family was quietly proving that Albariño could stand shoulder to shoulder with the greatest white wines of the world. Located in the coastal heart of Galicia in northwestern Spain the Salnés Valley is an unforgiving yet magical place to grow wine. Protected by mountain ranges and heavily influenced by the Atlantic Ocean the region features well drained decomposed granitic soils that yield profound terruño driven white wines defined by a signature saline minerality. 

Back in the ‘80s Galicia was a sleepy rural region where wine was viewed merely as daily sustenance and afforded the same glamour as carrots or potatoes. Most vineyards were post Phylloxera scraps planted with high yielding neutral grapes. Enter Gerardo Méndez who took cues from his father Francisco locally known as Pepe o Ferreiro or Pepe the Blacksmith which is where the winery name originates. Gerardo possessed an absolute unwavering faith in the potential of old vine Albariño and he bucked every modern trend of his era by restoring traditional pergola trellising to naturally lower yields and let the sun hit the canopy. 

In what's become a common refrain when discussing many of our favorite Spanish winemakers, Gerardo's neighbors considered him a few sandwiches short of a picnic. Amongst their evidence for this was his choice to farm organically, letting his chickens roam the vineyards for natural pest control and nitrogen along with commitment  to using only wild native yeasts Considered amongst his craziest choices, he refused to blend other grape varieties with the finicky, low yielding Albariño.Then his wine achieved global fame and they went from thinking he was nuts to realizing he was and is as visionary.  Along with thirteen other growers who had converted to his way of doing things, they established the Rías Baixas designation in 1988 officially putting the region on the world winemaking map.

Manuel and Encarna, Gerardo’s children,  have taken the reins with that same uncompromising spirit while pushing the estate into exciting new territory. Encarna masterfully manages the mind boggling logistics of hand farming 175 tiny separate plots which are the result of historic monastic land distribution where the average vineyard size is a mere 0.4 hectares. Meanwhile lead winemaker Manuel is busy isolating single vineyards such as Lourido and Adina to showcase the multidimensional micro terroirs of the valley. The family has also resurrected a twenty year project making handcrafted Orujo, a traditional Galician pomace brandy.

The estates standard bearer, this wine is blended from a mind boggling 164 small parcels across the valley. It strikes a harmonious balance between ripe citrus fruit, vibrant lemony freshness, and a grippy texture. In the glass, it reveals spectacular, racy tangerine flavors, impressive palate length, and the thrilling stony minerality. This is the exact kind of nervy, beautifully balanced white wine that makes you instantly long for a plate of fresh seafood. It is drinking beautifully  right now but possesses the structure to evolve beautifully in your cellar for the next decade.  A  chilled glass of Do Ferreiro alongside fresh oysters, razor clams, traditional Galician octopus or premium tinned conservas is one of life’s great pleasures.  

Do Ferreiro Rias Baixas Albarino 2024 - $36.99