2015 Do Ferreiro Albariño Rías Baixas Cepas Vellas

They did not produce their flagship Albariño in 2014, so I tasted the 2015 Albariño Do Ferreiro Cepas Vellas instead. This wine is produced with grapes from extremely old vines that grow on granite and sand soils around their house and winery in Meaño. These plants deliver very low yields and concentrated juice—very apt for a vin de garde—and it can often deliver some 15% of grapes with botrytis. 2015 was a very balanced harvest, combining power and elegance while keeping good levels of freshness. The grapes are destemmed, crushed and cooled down to around ten degrees Celsius, and the juice is left to settle for four to five days before it is fermented with indigenous yeasts for 20 to 24 days at 16 to 18 degrees Celsius. The wine is kept in contact with fine lees for 11 to 13 months in stainless steel. It has moderate alcohol (12.5%) and very good acidity (pH 3.05). The wine is serious, sharp, austere, a little shy in aromas and subtle rather than in your face, slowly unfurling its colors with time in the glass, with mineral notes that made me think of a great German Riesling. These vines always have a great natural concentration, while keeping the freshness, which provides aging potential among the best Albariño. Today, it's still sharp as a razor, with marked acidity and citrus sensations, long and marine, finishing with a tasty, salty marine note. This has to be among the best vintages (if not the best!) ever of Cepas Vellas! Bravo! Get hold of a six-pack and enjoy over the years. 8,000 bottles produced.