Zarate, El Palomar, D.O. Rias Baixas, white wine, 0.75l

The Zárate winery has been making albariños since the beginning of the 18th century, making it one of the historic wineries in the region. Zárate El Palomar is a single-variety Albariño from vineyards planted on one of the oldest documented estates in the Rias Baixas region. The vineyards are 150 years old and planted on very shallow granite soil. In search of nutrients the roots penetrate into the rock, giving the wine a very distinctive mineral character. Bodega Zárate uses environmentally friendly techniques, without the use of herbicides. Harvesting is done by hand and grape selection takes place directly in the vineyard. After destemming, the grapes are gently pressed. Zárate El Palomar ferments in 2,200-litre French oak barrels for a period of eight years. The must remains with the grapes until malolactic fermentation is complete, which occurs naturally. Once finished, it is racked and left to age on the lees for three months until bottling. Before being brought to market, Zárate El Palomar spends two months in bottle. It can be enjoyed immediately, but under optimal conditions it will develop favourably over the following 5-10 years. The deeper yellow hue, as well as the breadth of flavour, demonstrates the value of the time the wine has spent in an oak barrel. You can discover white peach, pear, lemon curd and meadow herbs, with the flavour ending in a suitably resonant granite grip. We recommend serving El Palomar chilled to 8°C with pasta, seafood and rice dishes.