2023 Do Ferreiro Albariño Rías Baixas - Spain, Galicia, Rías Baixas (2/15/2025)
– popped and poured –
– tasted non-blind over 2 hrs. –
NOSE: “green” and tangy; expressive; high-toned tropical fruit; some powderiness.
BODY: light green-yellow color; medium-light bodied.
TASTE: tangy; floral and fruity (peach) with some back-end mineral; fairly similar to Sauv. Blanc; I like this, and will buy again.
The green label really doesn’t disappoint. It’s easy to look at the special curves and dig hard into them, but this really kills it in its price range.
Be sure to look at Albamar and Leirana (Forjas do Salnes). I think both producers will be well up your alley. And don’t ignore Pazo Señorans. Yes they are big, but they really deliver!
With your prodding, I’ll try a Pazo Senorans; I think I’ve had that one in hand previously, only to return it to the shelf upon seeing an elevated abv…
I owe you for turning me on to Ferreiro, Keith. I’ll always be willing to pop one with you!
Agreed, the recent price jumps on the Cepas Vellas have regrettably turned this from a yearly purchase to yearly pass. Love the wine but $70+ for Albariño…
Don’t look down on Albarino like that! I’m not kidding at all. $70 for one of the top expressions of a region is a serious steal IMO (and it can age a few years).
I had a Seleccion Anada in Baiona last year that took them to a different level for me. The regular Pazo Senorans is a good value as well in the $20-30 range.
I’m hoping to be down your way in November for La Fete and I have some slightly older CV in storage to happily bring down 
. I’ll look around for some Albamar single cuvees and the Leirana higher end wines to bring down as well
Always a no-brainer go to wine!
I second Keith’s picks for Albamar, Forjas, and Pazo de Señorans.
I would also recomend you search out Pazo Barrantes (owned by Marques de Murrietta from Rioja), they’ve changed directions in the winemaking and it’s just so much better. Zarate, Eulogio Pomares, and Palacio Fefiñanes I would also recomend.
I’m the importer for Forjas in Panama, the wines are incredible. My pricing here is much, much lower than what you get in the US. If you can get some, Rodrigo Mendez from Forjas has a side label for other whites, Salvora is one of my favorites. Very salty, high acidity, and fresh. As a side note, Do Ferreiro and Forjas are actually related. Sketch is also made at Forjas del Salnes, but is sold through Raul Perez in Bierzo.
As for Albariño getting expensive, it’s true. Last time I was with Rodrigo in Sanxenxo he was comenting how much the price per kilo of grapes kept increasing every year. If you look at how small the valle del Salnes is, the original heart of Rias Baixas, you’d understand why it’s getting pricier. Doesn’t help either that Vega Sicilia is now getting into the Albariño game with their new wine Deiva that should be released in a few years.
I get it, and I do buy a little Cepas Vellas, but I don’t think it’s a whole lot better than the entry level. Plus, if’s approaching Sketch pricing at this point, and that’s the best I’ve had by far (and worth the money, IMO).
If you feel it’s a small step from the Green Label, you’re more than welcome to that opinion. But……I just disagree (and would disagree irt the Lourido, Dous Ferrados, and Adina as well).
My point on that post was more not to treat Albariño as some porch pounding wine. It is serious and there’s some wonderful stuff happening in Rias Baixas right now and it’s a pretty small region that could well go up in price across the board (though they do high crop).
Keith, I think there are a large number of wine drinkers who look at ANY white or sparking wine as “porch pounders” or “aperitif” wines that are only to be consumed before the main event. I don’t think that (we drink about 2/3 white/rose/bubbles and 1/3 red), but I see that attitude from wine lovers of all experience levels.
We just got back from our yearly trip to Galicia, and I have to agree that the local white wines are just getting better and better. Albarino, but other varities and blends as well. Adding to the producers mentioned above, I’d include Leirana, Muradella and Louis Rodriguez Vasquez Vina de Martin. There are light and easy drinkers for sure, and I love them, but there are also very complex, serious wines being made, and there’s almost nothing better with pure seafood expressions, especially shellfish.
With most of our serious meals this trip, we drank a bottle of champagne and a bottle of Galician white. If there was a steak for the main (not unusual, Galician beef being what it is), we’d have a glass of red. Our first bottle of red didn’t happen until about 5 days into the trip, several hours inland, with lamb.
I was at the winery with Manuel Méndez a week ago and I tried both the basic 2024 and this 2015. The 2024 I found delicious: extremely fruity and savoury with excellent acidity. But as someone was saying in this thread it is amazing how well this wines age, even the basic one. The 2015 had developed wonderfully in bottle.
Actually, even though we tried everything in the range I think the one I will be buying is the basic 2024. Maybe even a magnum format… and wait a decade or so!
We’d been told to seek out some aged versions, which we found at a few of the top restaurants, but results were mixed. A stunning 2013 Zarate Tras da Vinaa, but a tired 2015 Palomar. A very good 2015 Leirana Genoveva, but also a tired one.
