Bodegas Carballal Sete Cepas 2008 D.O. Rias Baixas

Bodegas Carballal Sete Cepas 2008 D.O. Rias Baixas

One of the best Albariños I have ever tasted was poured from a cool, ceramic jug and sipped as we watched the summer sun go down over the vines from which the grapes had been picked the year before.
Unfortunately, most holiday wines never have quite the same charm back at home and that Albariño would never have made the journey across Spain, let alone across any borders.
Sete Cepas on the other hand does travel well and transmits both the character of the vines and of the region. In fact, although Sete Cepas is predominantly Albariño, it's backed up with a blend of other local grape varieties; Loureiro and Treixadura. A delightful yellow straw colour, its nose of ripe summer stone fruits is carried through onto the palate, which is apricots, peaches and a hint of almonds. The wine is dry, with a crisp acidity which leaves the palate refreshingly clean. Ideal served chilled to accompany seafood, but especially shellfish.

Price: 8,50€

Carballal is a modern, functional winery which has been built next to the old, stone family farmhouse set amongst the vines just outside the town of Cambados. Now run by two of the seven brothers, it was the father who was one of the founding fathers of the D.O. Rias Baixas.
There are some giant wineries in this demarcated region in the north west of Spain, but traditionally, the area is made up of smallholdings, each grower making a limited production or selling on to one of the big producers. Historically, the Atlantic ocean is the provider of wealth for this isolated region that feels like the end of the earth even in this day and age of motorways and regional airports. The sea also brings the rain for which Galicia is renowned, blessing the seaboard with an average rainfall of 180cm compared to the 65cm of Madrid on the central plateau, or the 60cm of the Empordà on the Mediterannean for example. It's for this reason that the vines are trained on the distinctive high trellises in order to allow maximum ventilation for the ripening grapes.
Almost exclusively white, the main grape varieties are Albariño, Treixadura and Loureiro. The Spanish drink the latest vintage of most of these wines, but they would be wise to keep some of the better wines in their cellars for a couple of years to see just how well the Albariños at least can improve with a little ageing in bottle. Until now the Spanish have tended to be too enthusiastic with oak and some Albariños have been spoiled by coming into contact with it; gentle bottle ageing would seem to work best.
Spanish retail prices for any Albariño worth drinking range from just under 10€ up to 20€. Anything over that is pretty special or overpriced.