Xesteira Albariño Do Biolo 2024
We have 10 in stock (Inventory is live and accurate)
The Land
The topsoil in this vineyard is, in places, only a few centimeters deep. Acios da Xesteiriña farms a single site of just over a hectare in Castrelo, in the Cambados area of Val do Salnés, roughly two kilometers from the Atlantic. The bedrock is granodiorite, classified by a geological institute, under a thin, dark, dusty layer of gravel, sand, and organic matter, some of it carried in from the surrounding forest to feed the soil's microbial life. The vineyard faces south on a soft incline, then drops into a deep dip that climbs toward woodland. Albariño from Rías Baixas grown on soil this shallow has to root into rock, and that shows up as density and mineral grip rather than fruit weight.
The Wine
Xesteiriña Albariño Do Biolo 2024 is 100% Albariño from vines replanted in 1986, alongside a small block from 1972. Fermentation is spontaneous, with no added yeast or bacteria, and held to a maximum of 24°C. The wine then rests about eight months, 60% in old 225- and 500-liter French oak barrels and 40% in stainless steel, and is bottled unfined and unfiltered. The old oak rounds the texture without adding flavor; the steel portion keeps the line taut. Expect lemon pith, green apple, white peach, and wet granite, with a concentrated core and a firm, salty finish. The 2024 season was difficult across Rías Baixas: heavy rain at flowering caused poor fruit set, downy mildew hit from early June, and regional estimates put the crop 25 to 30% below 2023.
The People
José Manuel Domínguez is an agricultural engineer and the third generation of a Salnés grape-growing family. Where his predecessors sold fruit, he began bottling his own, with 2020 as the first official commercial vintage. His farming follows organic and biodynamic principles in practice, best described as no-till and regenerative: no compost, no soil amendments, no systemic fungicides, and only minimal copper and sulfur. That approach carries a cost in a climate this wet. In 2022 the vines carried only a few clusters each. He also makes a version of this wine with no added sulfur, sealed in red wax, alongside the standard bottling in blue wax with a small sulfur addition before bottling. His stated aim is to make every vintage without it eventually.
Food Pairing
This is natural wine from Rías Baixas built for the raw bar and the grill. Serve it with percebes or steamed cockles with nothing more than sea salt and lemon, where the wine's salinity meets the brine head-on. Grilled sardines with coarse salt and charred bread stand up to its acidity. Pan-fried padrón peppers with flaky salt play off the wine's green edge. A plate of jamón with tomato-rubbed bread works too, the acidity cutting the fat. Give it time in the glass; it gains texture as it warms. The bottle to open when friends come over and dinner is whatever looked best at the fish counter.
We ship wine to most states with a $100 minimum order for shipping. We don't ship spirits nor beer.
Weather shipping advisory: Orders placed during times of extreme heat or extreme cold will be held for no charge until more favorable weather returns.
Galicia, located in northwest Spain, is a cool, green oasis renowned for its diverse wine regions like Rías Baixas, known for the crisp Albariño, and Ribeira Sacra, where the steep terraces nurture Mencía grapes, yielding wines with elegance and depth. The region's unique climate contributes to the fresh, aromatic, and mineral-driven character of its wines.
Spain - Galicia
Albariño is a vibrant white grape variety from Spain's Rías Baixas region, known for its lively acidity, aromatic intensity of peach, citrus, and floral notes, and a distinct saline minerality, making it a refreshing choice for seafood pairings.
