90+ points - Parker
90 points - Decanter
Notes
¡Ailalá! ¡Ailalelo! is what you would shout/sing over the mountain tops in Galicia when sharing good times with your best pals. 'Ailalá' is the Galician equivalent to 'Olé' the well-known Spanish term of exclamation used by people across the globe. For all you history buffs, interestingly, the word Ailalá is heard in many traditional Galician folk tales and is known to have Celtic origins.
Ailalá Treixadura, which came before the Tinto version of the wine, is a natural white wine made with 100% Treixadura, Ribeiro's prototypical indigenous grape variety. The wine is playful, much like its name, with a marvellous golden colour and an equally flamboyant bouquet. Distinct aromas of lemon yogurt, melon, apricot flower, white flowers, and seashells, with hints of fennel and clove. Plenty of body for a white wine, dense, best enjoyed slowly. On the palate you may pick up apricot, peach, mandarin, sweet lemon, and orange blossom. Long and pleasant finish. Truly an exemplary wine with amazing value.
Made following the natural farming theories of M. Fukuoka and R. Steinner. This wine is free of any additives and is completely pure.
The Ailalá-Ailalelo project is a powerhouse collaboration between the oenologist Inma Pazos, her husband Miguel Montoto, and Xosé Lois Sebio, the oenologist of the esteemed Coto de Gomariz winery (Ricardo Carreiro). With the two Ailala wines (red and white) they express the magnificent terroir of the highly regarded Avia Valley in Galicia's Ribeiro DO; the soils are composed of granitic sand and clay called Sábrego. The all-star team along with the biodynamic farming methods and minimal intervention make for nearly unrivaled quality and value in this wine.
Facts
Annual Production: 20,000 bottles (The club has access to 2000 annually)
Type: Blanco (white)
Body: Medium
Palate: Dry
Finish: Fruity and floral, very persistent
Grape Variety: 100% Treixadura
Viticulture / Farming: Sustainable & Biodynamic - Terroir Driven - following the theories of M. Fukuoka and R. Steinner
ABV%: 12.9
Ageing: 4 months over lees in stainless vats, rest of the time in bottle
Bodega: Ailalá-Ailalelo
Region: Valle de Avia, Province of Ourense, Galicia
Designation of Origin: D.O. Ribeiro
Micro-Climate: Mediterranean/Atlantic – cool & humid winters (2ºC) and short dry summers (29ºC)
Elevation: 150-350 meters above sea level
Age of Vines: 50 - 70 years
Soil: Sábrego (granitic sand with some clay)
Tips
- Drink now or keep for up to 2 years
- No need to decant, simply open 10 minutes before consuming
- Pairs well with any seafood, stronger fish such as Bacalao or Salmon, white meats, and young cheeses
- Ideally served well chilled at around 9ºC
Terroir
These particular vineyards are located along the Avia Valley; near the villages of A Xarmenta in San Cristóbal (Ribadavia) and Pazo Lodeiro in San Fiz do Varón (O Carballiño).
The Valle de Avia is in the Northernmost part of Ribeiro, an area that is influenced by the Avia river, a tributary to the Miño, and benefit from a blend of Atlantic and Mediterranean climates. Though the region is not far from the Atlantic, it is protected from its harsh winds and storms by mountain ranges to the West which form a natural barrier.
In medieval times, Ribeiro was without a doubt the most important wine region in Galicia, ancient documents show that both religious estates and royalty were heavily involved in the region. The Sistine and Benedictine orders settled in Ribeiro, the monks made the most of the land by renting the vineyards to local farmers, and this served as the main source of income for the monasteries. This is why so many ancient architectural examples of cathedrals and monasteries are peppered throughout the landscape, on the footsteps of the vineyards. In fact, Ribeiro wine was aboard the Nao Santa Maria, the ship that took Christopher Columbus to America.
The microclimate of Gomariz and the Valle de Avia is relatively mild with cool and humid winters rarely going below 2ºC and warm dry summers reaching 30ºC.
These vineyards are found in a lush green landscape of rolling hills, the vines sit on steep slopes and terraced plots.
Vinification/Ageing
Manually harvested in 18 kg crates. Initial grape selection in the vineyards followed by a second meticulous selection on the sorting table at the winery. Pressing and selection of initial grape musts. Cold fermented with natural indigenous yeasts. Aged 4 months on its lees in stainless vats. Aged in the bottle until today. According to biodynamic practices, this wine is bottled on a Flower Day in April.
Winemaker
Detailed info about Inma Pazos coming soon.
Ratings
90+ points - Luis Gutiérrez Santo Domingo (Wine Advocate, Robert Parker)
90 points - Decanter
