Bodegas Pazo Barrantes "La Comtesse" Albarino 2019
(Rias Baixas, Spain) - [WA 96] [JS 96] [VM 95] [WS 92]

About the Winery:
Pazo de Barrantes is part of the Marqués de Murrieta family, one of the founding fathers of modern Spanish winemaking. The Pazo de Barrantes estate is located in the Salnés Valley of Rías Baixas and is the largest single estate in the valley. The property is close to the Galician coast in the western part of Spain, just north of Portugal. The winery has been associated to the Counts of Creixell since the beginning of the 20th century, and the property in the hands of the family since 1511. Over the years, the Count of Creixell´s family has given its own personality to every wine produced at the winery. In the 1990s, the Galician property turned into an estate designed specifically for the albariño growing, the great and noble local grape variety. This enabled the family to join all the efforts to offer careful and precise winemaking in the heart of the Salnés Valley.

About this Wine:
The grapes used to elaborate the wine are sourced from Pago Cacheiro, a 3.7-acre single-vineyard on the Pazo de Barrantes estate. The shallow soils of the estate are granitic with sand on the surface and the average age of the vineyard is 30 years. The vines are trained high on supporting wires in the ‘parral’ trellis system (also known as Parron), as is the local tradition, to guard against mildew and rot, and to assist ripening.

Hand-picked in 20kg crates, the albariño bunches are then destemmed before pressing to avoid any herb flavors. The grapes are pressed slowly and gently to respect and extract the intense aromatic potential that these old vine grapes provide. The must is decanted by flotation to ensure greater aromatic purity and then fermented at 50oF in 3,000-liter French Allier oak vats for approximately 85 days. In an effort to gain more volume on the palate and a balanced mouth-feel, the wine is left in contact with its
fine lees for three months. La Comtesse remains in this same wooden vat for 12 months, followed by 12 months in concrete tanks.

Tasting Notes:
Scented with a thousand and one nuances: orange peel, quince fruit, fern, fennel, acacia blossom, eucalyptus...there is a silky texture in the mouth, with volume and plenty of depth. Well-balanced, fine and elegant. Faithful to the variety and extremely suggestive.

Ratings & Reviews

96 Points - Wine Advocate:
"The top-of-the-range 2019 La Comtesse comes from a vineyard called Cacheiro, 1.4 hectares of their oldest vines (planted in 1965) that deliver lower yields and aim to showcase the aging potential of Albariño. The must fermented in 3,000-liter oak vats where the wine was kept for 12 months, the first three with the lees, and then it was kept in concrete for a further 12 months. It has a golden color and an intense nose but with subtle aromas and almost no trace of oak. 2019 was a warmer, very complete and balanced year of powerful wines with concentration, clout and very good balance and freshness. This has 13.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.25 and 7.3 grams of acidity. It has a round and creamy texture and is velvety and tender, sleek and elegant. 9,655 bottles and 400 magnums produced. It was bottled in April 2022." - Luis Gutierrez (Jul 2024)

96 Points - James Suckling:
"It’s a joy to taste and drink this Rias Baixas, which shows ripe pineapple, quince, cream, meringue, apricots, seashells and minerals. Substantially full but paradoxically light as well, thanks to its bright acidity. Long, creamy and taut, with a lightly saline ending. A vinous albarino to drink or hold." (Aug 2024)

95 Points - Vinous Media:
"The 2019 Gran Vino de Guarda La Comtesse is 100% Albariño from Pago Cacheiro, hailing from a 1.4-hectare vineyard within Finca Barrantes. Planted in 1965, this is only the tenth vintage. Aged for five years—one year in 3,000-liter oak casks, one in concrete and three in bottle—it opens with menthol and oak, alongside creamy notes. Broad and compact with elevated freshness, the 2019 offers a saline edge and layered complexity." - Joaquin Hidalgo (Mar 2025)

92 Points - Wine Spectator:
"A graceful white, with well-honed acidity aligned to flavors of ripe pear, tangerine peel, white cherry, vanilla and almond. An underlying streak of salinity provides a lively tang to the detailed flavor range and drives the mouthwatering finish, which shows delicate floral, graphite and spice notes. Drink now through 2030. 25 cases imported." - Alison Napjus (Jul 2024)