2018 Adegas Galegas D. Pedro Soutomaior Albarino Rias Baixas 750 ml

The two main languages spoken in Rías Baixas are Spanish and Galician, but no words are necessary to describe the day bright, electrifying, mineral-rich, and floral Albariño wines that are famous throughout the region—all you need is a glass to experience maximum enjoyment from crystalline whites like the 2018 Adegas Galegas D. Pedro Soutomaior Albariño. 

A few minutes after popping the cork, you’ll find a bright and lively wine full of delicate white floral notes and crushed oyster shell minerality while the wine washes over the palate with plenty of sunshine, citrus, and stamina.

Rías Baixas is located in Northwestern Spain, within the province of Pontevedra in Galicia, where vines thrive on a small strip of land roughly the size of Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley appellation. Of the roughly 6,500 growers farming almost 20,000 distinct plots, we zeroed in on Adegas Galegas because of their overdelivering rendition of Albariño is a dynamite representation of the best from the Condado do Tea sub-zone. 

Aptly named after the river Tea, which is a tributary of the Miño River, it is the second-largest sub-region of Rías Baixas and its inland, fairly mountainous landscape, sees average temperatures of 59º F that can climb well above 100º F in the summer months—meaning its cool enough most of the time to retain naturally bright acidity in grapes, but gets hot enough to push the typically small-clustered-thick-skinned variety toward melon-rich ripeness. Grown atop schist, alluvial, and granitic soils this region is perfect for crisp, linear white wines.

After harvest, the Adegas Galegas team does everything to retain the natural freshness of these grapes, aging them completely in stainless steel tanks and eschewing the use of oak. The finished wines emerge as true (and delicious) representations of the Condado do Tea terroir—bright, ripe, and crisp.  

The 2018 growing season ushered in cool spring weather and then a typical growing season, imbuing Albariño wines with a bit more zip than in warmer years. Let the Adegas Galegas into the driver seat while you prepare grilled lobster, ceviche, or balsamic-drizzled vegetables. 

Beyond its prowess on the table, this Albariño comes with a fascinating story: the face on the label is that of Pedro Madruga (also known as Pedro Álvarez de Soutomaior)—a fifteenth-century Fuedal knight and Galician nobleman whose name loosely translates to “early riser.” 

Incredible theories suggest that the mysterious disappearance of Pedro Madruga coincides with Columbus’s first voyage and many speculate that the nearly bankrupt Madruga changed his name to Christopher Columbus to avoid having to pay back his debts. 

Given that Columbus is perhaps the most famous Gallician of all time, devoting the label to his visage is an apt homage for this Albariño, which showcases its terroir with bright, mineral-driven flavors that suggests it should be double the price.