100% Loureiro
VINEYARD: Vines planted in 1972. Soil is sandy and granite. Grapes are grown in cooler, coastal climate and retain acidity while keeping sugar level at a minimum to produce a lower alcohol wine.
WINEMAKING: Whole cluster fermentation in a large, neutral wooden cask.
92 points - Wine Advocate
Despite the natural rusticity and power of the grape, the Goliardo Loureiro feels sleeker and more polished than any vintage prior to this one. They matured the wine in brand new oak, which didn't impart aromas or flavors, but it clearly polished the tannins. There's quite a lot of acidity here, but it's somewhat balanced by tannins. I believe that they are finally mastering the production of red Loureiro, which is not an easy thing to do... Some 1,000 bottles produced.
- March, 2019, Luis Gutiérrez
Rodrigo Méndez is preserving elements of Galician wine heritage. Although today Rias Biaxas is synonymous with Albariño at one time indigenous red varietals were common, these were mostly ripped out in the 70s. The Méndez family thankfully protected their pockets of old, some seriously old, vines - the age of their Caiño, Espadeiro, and Loureiro vines are between 150-200 years old protected from phylloxera by sandy granitic soils.
Forjas del Salnes whites are produced from Albariño, left to mature fully tempering the puckering malic acids often found in this variety. Windswept by the Atlantic Ocean they are saline, precise with amazing intensity. The reds are bright, spicy and juicy - 'tintos del mar' (reds of the ocean) and deliciously Galicia.
