2012 Bodegas Fillaboa Albariño 750ml 6-Pack
Family History: The Masaveu family, who own Fillaboa and two other wineries in Rioja and Navarra, also has a long history in the production of cider within the Asturias region of Spain. The Masaveus purchased Fillaboa, which means the “good daughter” in Gallego, in the mid-1990’s when they sought out the best facility for making a top quality Albariño. They then invested in several old-vine vineyards throughout the D.O. Rías Baixas and restored many of the old Roman ruins, a 13th century church and art museum that lie on the Fillaboa property, resulting not only in a premier Albariño-producing winery, but also a Spanish cultural and historical destination.
One of the only wineries in the D.O. Rías Baixas that produces wine solely from estate-owned fruit, Bodegas Fillaboa is unique in their commitment to a single bottling per vintage for the U.S. market. This helps to prevent bottle variation and ensures consistent quality from vintage to vintage. All wines produced by Fillaboa are made from the Albariño grape variety, a thick-skinned grape known for its rich variety of aromas (16 different aromas have been scientifically recognized). Some consider it to be most closely related to Riesling and believe the name “Albariño” stems from the phrase “white Rhine” in the local Gallego dialect. Containing enticing aromas of freshly cut pineapple, sour apple, lemon and pear, the 2012 Fillaboa is bright citrine in appearance with well-balanced flavors and brilliant acidity that enhances its freshness and complexity. Juicy and voluminous with great structure, this wine culminates in a long-lasting finish.
Vintage: 2012 was a very heterogenetic vintage due to the warm spring temperatures that caused a rapid bud-break in the estate’s youngest vines contrasted with a rapid succession of cooler temperatures that delayed the bud-break of their more mature vines. This irregular flower-set, along with Galicia’s fierce spring rains, caused a decrease in the overall amount of clusters produced. This was the case throughout the entire D.O. Rías Baias, which produced a much smaller volume of wine than in previous vintages. Grape maturation and harvest were delayed by about two weeks due to cooler-than-usual summer temperatures, but the resulting grapes were aromatic and healthy making wines with a great flavor profile and rich fruit character.
Vineyards: The 70 hectares (173 acres) of vineyards owned by Fillaboa are located on the southern tip of Galicia, in a sub-region of the D.O. Rías Baixas called Salvaterra de Miño. A region known for its rather high elevations and excellent wind flow, Bodegas Fillaboa is nestled next to the River Miño, which divides Spain from Portugal. Each of the vineyards is planted with only Albariño, whose vines can reach a height of 6 to 7 feet tall. Fillaboa’s expert vineyard management team carefully manages each vineyard block and performs an annual green harvest in July to eliminate smaller clusters and excess leaves. Typically one-third of the fruit is dropped to ensure that the best quality wine will be made from the remaining fruit.
Fincas: Monte Alto, Via, Terneros, Castro, Socalcos, Antigua, Miño, Eucalipto and Rio
Fermentation and Aging: All clusters were hand-picked and selected both in the field and again on the sorting table before being de-stemmed and slightly crushed upon entering the micro-stainless steel tanks for alcoholic fermentation. The grapes were then fermented at 14-16ºC for a period of 15-20 days. The resulting wine was aged 6 months over lees in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks before being bottled in April 2013.
Vineyards: The 70 hectares (173 acres) of vineyards owned by Fillaboa are located on the southern tip of Galicia, in a sub-region of the D.O. Rías Baixas called Salvaterra de Miño. A region known for its rather high elevations and excellent wind flow, Bodegas Fillaboa is nestled next to the River Miño, which divides Spain from Portugal. Each of the vineyards is planted with only Albariño, whose vines can reach a height of 6 to 7 feet tall. Fillaboa’s expert vineyard management team carefully manages each vineyard block and performs an annual green harvest in July to eliminate smaller clusters and excess leaves. Typically one-third of the fruit is dropped to ensure that the best quality wine will be made from the remaining fruit.
Fincas: Monte Alto, Via, Terneros, Castro, Socalcos, Antigua, Miño, Eucalipto and Rio
Fermentation and Aging: All clusters were hand-picked and selected both in the field and again on the sorting table before being de-stemmed and slightly crushed upon entering the micro-stainless steel tanks for alcoholic fermentation. The grapes were then fermented at 14-16ºC for a period of 15-20 days. The resulting wine was aged 6 months over lees in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks before being bottled in April 2013.
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