2017 Pazo de Barrantes La Comtesse

The Pazo de Barrantes La Comtesse is a great example of the potential of the Albariño grape and is a great example of how beautifully an Albariño can age. The La Comtesse is the big brother of the very beautiful Pazo de Barrantes Albariño and is without doubt one of the very best Albariños. The La Comtesse has concentration and elegance and balance and the cool year 2017 gives the wine a nice acidity that ensures freshness and length. Supply is very limited the grapes come from a small plot, the 1.4 hectare Pago Cacheiro, from the oldest (50 years) and the lowest yielding vines on the Pazo de Barrantes estate

The La Comtesse from Pazo de Barrantes has been on the market since 2009. The owner of this house is the well-known Marques de Murrieta - and the owners have their roots in Galicia hence the desire to make a top wine and show the potential of the Albarino grape with a long aging on lees and on large oak woods. barrels. The grapes come from an old single vineyard Cacheiro in (Rías Baixas DO Galicia). All work in the vineyard is manual and with minimal intervention. The salty sea breeze keeps the vineyard super healthy without the need for all kinds of chemicals. The Albariño trusses are destemmed first before pressing. The grapes are then gently crushed to respect and appreciate the intense aroma of these old vines. The juice sinks in. This is followed by temperature controlled alcoholic fermentation at just 10 degrees in a 3,000 liter French Allier oak barrel for no less than 60 days. In pursuit of more volume in the mouth and a balanced mouthfeel, the wine remains in contact with its fine lees for 6 months. The La Comtesse then stays for another 12 months in the same wooden barrel and then the wine is bottled for another 12 months in the cellar of Pazo de Barrantes.

In the glass, the Marqués de Murrieta La Comtesse de Pazo Barrantes is a beautiful bright light straw yellow color. In the nose we smell beautiful aromas of apple, peach, lime and of course the pear known for the albariño, but we also notice notes of oyster shells and lime. The latter becomes even more apparent in the mouth. The wine is full bodied, somewhat creamy, minerally with a good salty sea injection and a long tasteful aftertaste.

This enjoy wine is also a gastronomic topper and begs for fresh oyster but also great with richer fish dishes such as cod with rosemary and honey, roasted chicken and vegetables or a warm shrimp salad with honey mustard and green apples.

Winery Pazo de Barrantes

Marqués de Murrieta's also has an estate in the Rias Baixas (Galicia) called Pazo de Barrantes. The Albariño vineyard is 12 hectares and is located in the Valle del Salnés. This vineyard brings a lot of aromatic complexity to the wine, thanks to the natural influences on the landscape. Read more under the heading winery. Click here for a short nice video report