2010 Zarate Albarino El Balado

The 2010 Balado is a pure Albariño from ungrafted vines and aged for six months on the lees. It has more intensity than the Palomar at the moment: hints of tropical fruit, apricot, papaya and vanilla emerging gloriously with aeration. The palate is crisp and effervescent on the entry. It has a sorbet-like freshness and exuberance that set the mouth alive with lovely apricot and clementine notes on the crisp finish. Wonderful! Drink now-2022. Ernesto Zárate established this winery in the Val do Salnes in 1920 and went on to become one of the pioneers for the region, establishing the “Fiesta del Albariño de Cambados” in 1956, which in retrospect was the catalyst for much that has followed. Of course, during the period what little wine was made was solely for local consumption. Since 2000, Eulogio Pomares has taken over the running of the estate: one of the most forward-thinking, quality conscientious winemakers in the region. He oversees 6.54 hectares of vine scattered over 11 parcels around the villages of Sisan and Padrenda. The estate is dedicated to Albariño, although he is keen to improve the quality of his red wines that are respectable, if not of the same quality as his white. The pergola-trained vines are planted at 800 plants per hectare, averaging 35 years in age, and Eugenio has eschewed all herbicides and pesticides since 1994, adopting biodynamic principles and replanting the pergola-trained vines without rootstocks. These are wonderful expressions of Albariño, full of vigor, vivacity and complexity—the kind of wines that put a big fat smile on your face. We commence with a mini vertical of the Zárate.