Bright and aromatic with distinctive floral and fruity characteristics, Albariño has enjoyed a surge in popularity and an increase in plantings over the last couple of decades.

This is above average in popularity for wines from Rias Baixas. Furthermore, this wine has been getting more popular over the past year.

Critic tasting note: (2016 vintage) "Colour: bright straw. Nose: medium intensity, faded flowers, saline. Palate: correct, easy to drink, ripe fruit."

Benito Santos is a central figure in the modern history of Albariño and the Rías Baixas D.O. He began working in his grandfather’s vineyards in the 1930s and made wine for serving in his bar – wines that repeatedly won prizes in the
annual Fiesta de Albariño in Cambados. He was instrumental in the creation of the Rías Baixas D.O. in the 1980s. The current owners now farm three vineyards in the Val do Salnés subzone of Rías Baixas, each of which is next to and named after an ancient church: Saiar, Bemil, and Xoan. All of the vineyards are now certified organic – a rarity in rainy, mildew-prone Rías Baixas – and winemaking uses only native yeasts and minimal sulfur. Benito Santos wines are salty, mineral, and structured, with ample fruit but none of the overly tropical flavors of many industrially-produced Albariños.

Try this wine if you like Pinot Grigio and you want to get serious. All of the Benito Santos vineyards are now certified organic, a rarity in rainy, mildew-prove Rias Baixas.

Rías Baixas is a Spanish Denominación de Origen (DO) (Denominación de Orixe in Galician) for wines located in the province of Pontevedra and the south of the province of Corunna in the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain. It is renowned for its white wines made from the Albarino grape variety. Its Regulatory Council is headquartered at Pazo de Mugartegui in the city of Pontevedra. It is believed that the Albariño grape was introduced to the area in the 12th century by the Cistercian monks of the Monastery of Armenteira. Rías Baixas acquired its official status as a Denominación de Origen (DO) in 1988. This replaced the earlier "Denominación Específica Albariño" status which had been granted in 1980. Its Regulatory Council (Consejo Regulador) is based at Pazo de Mugartegui in the city of Pontevedra.

The climate is Atlantic, with wet winters and sea fog. In general rainfall is high and the temperatures mild. In general, maximum temperatures in summer rarely exceed 30 °C (86 °F) and only drop to 0 °C (32 °F) in December and January.
The coldest areas are Ribera do Ulla and Val do Salnés due to their proximity to the coast. The warmest is Condado do Tea where temperatures in summer sometimes approach 40 °C (104 °F), but the winters are cold with frequent frosts and rainfall of over 2,000 millimetres (79 in) a year. Strong winds can occasionally cause problems for the vineyards, especially those located on the west face of the coast. Frosts, hailstones and summer heat can also cause complications.

100% Albarino from multiple plots in Val do Saines. Vines are grown in granite and loam soils and they average about 25 years in age. Grapes are hand-harvested and fermented in stainless steel tanks. Aged on the lees for three months.
The Salnés Valley is the most important subzone in the Rías Baixas DO. Known locally as O Salnés, it has three-quarters of the region’s growers and just over half the appellation’s vineyards. It’s also the subzone with the largest number of wineries: 113 out of Rías Baixas’ 178 wineries are in the Val do Salnés. The name “Salnés” comes from the salt flats that once covered the area (in Spanish and Galician, sal = salt). During the Middle Ages, the valley’s inhabitants collected salt and used it to preserve the fish that left their ports on merchant ships. The Latin name for the region was Territorium Salinense, which gradually became Salnés in Galician.

Salt has always been an important part of the Val do Salnés, and nowadays we associate it with its expression in the wines. Whether it’s the power of suggestion or some enological miracle, wines made from grapes grown in the Salnés Valley usually present more salinity on the nose and palate than wines from the other subzones. Their proximity to the cool breezes of the ocean also lends them the electric acidity that has made Albariño world-famous, with tart green apple and fresh citrus aromas.

From a vineyard in Salnes, vinified in tank with minimal sulphur. The wine spends a few months on the lees before bottling, which gives a fuller body and richer texture. This is one of the great dry white wines. Try this with shellfish, or with crusty bread and a wedge of aged Manchego.

White wines from the Val do Salnés have a flavor profile consistent with the “classic” idea of Albariño: aromas of lemon and lime mix with riper peach and apricot notes, all over a good backbone of acidity, a certain salinity, and a characteristic bitterness on the finish. The cool climate brings out the citrus notes, but in warmer years peach and apricot aromas can dominate. This also depends on the winery, since some growers use wild yeasts and others use commercial yeasts that tend to give notes of overripe stone fruit rather than citrus.