Maior de Mendoza “Sobre Lias” Rías Baixas D.O. Albariño 2021/2022

The proprietor of the brand, the Barros family has been dedicated to viticulture of the Albariño variety since the beginning in the 1970s. At that time, the Regulatory Council had not yet been formed and grape production was carried out on very small family plots. José Barros started by planting 10 hectares of vineyards, which was luckily one of the most decisive gambles on the Albariño variety, as well as the beginning of one of the largest vineyard land holdings in Galicia.

Rías Baixas D.O. currently has 2700 hectare plantings under the appellation. Local 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 and only drop to 0 °C in December and January. 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.

The appellation allows up to a dozen of local varieties grown, but over 90% are Albariño, and they usually come in single-varietal wine.

It was after the creation of the Denomination of Origin in 1984, that the winery was officially founded. The winery name, Maior de Mendoza, (Mayor of Mendoza) responds to a family’s commitment to a land and its history, since Doña Maior de Mendoza was the wife of Mayor Fernando Mariño de Lobera, Monterrei and Soutomaior, who, among other titles, held that of Señor de Trabanca, which gives its name to the place where the winery is located.

The winery focuses on varietal intensity and maritime Atlantic freshness. However the process that has given them fame and differentiated them in the D.O. Rías Baixas is the use of aging on lees, which they have been applying since their first harvest, when it was practically unknown in Galicia and in which they were the first brand to market Albariño On lees (‘Sobre Lias’) of the entire D.O. area.

Helped by modern viticulture practice, the Albariño of Maior de Mendoza usually has no trouble to meet its optimal ripeness. Apart from more traditional floral, green fruit notes for its aroma profile descriptors, the primary fruit aroma also include mandarin and nectarine. The wine has almost reached to realm of aromatic varieties, rather than a simple ‘aperitif wine’. If age carefully for at least 5 years, some nutty, honeyed notes may emerge.