It’s hard to believe that bottles from this region rarely made an appearance outside of Galicia until the 1990s. But once restaurants in London and New York got a taste for these thirst quenching and aromatic dry whites wines, there was no holding back.
Dr. Guenther, a Wine Garage partner visited Eulogio, the professore among the ever increasing number of producers, in 2018, and witnessed why Eulogio has the native Albarino in his genes. His vineyards lie about one kilometer away from the ocean, thus refreshed by the wind from the sea, and the high trellised pergola vines help aerate against mildew. Several generations of experience in this area cannot be fast tracked.
Eulogio told Guenther “the problem with Albariño is that the message has been ‘drink young, drink young, drink early, drink young’ for the last 20 years. But the best thing with Albariño is to make wines that last.” Their old vine and great healthy soils make Albariños that are not only the best white wines of Galicia, but potentially in all of Spain.
Over the years, many myths regarding Albarino was spread, among them “that this grape originated in the Rhine valley or was brought by French Cistercian monks on pilgrimage from Cluny in the 12th century. Today scientists at a research institute in Galicia have debunked theories and confirm it was cultivated from wild strain and has been in the region since Roman times” (Guardian Aug 2020).
We recommend to try this fresh, mineral and balanced cuvee, and if you enjoy it, later opt for their single vineyard wines, which will delight when around 5-7 years old. These are a world class act in line with the best Chablis, Muscadet and dry Rieslings.
Luis Gutierrez of Robert Parker “The eponymous 2019 Zárate is their entry-level Albariño, a vintage with structure and acidity, still very young, a powerful vintage with more of everything and probably a long-distance runner. It’s varietal and clean, characterful, powerful and with a long, tasty finish, vibrant and almost salty. 64,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in March 2020.” – 92 points