Bodegas Zarate Fontecon Tinto 2023
Rias-Baixas Galicia
SKU: ADV-zarateFONTECON
Bodegas Zarate Fontecon Tinto 2023
Rias-Baixas Galicia
SKU: ADV-zarateFONTECON
Regular price
$3899
$38.99
/
- 70% Espadeiro and 30% Caiño Tinto
- Whole Cluster fermented
- Just 130 case 6 packs!
*For reference, 2023 not yet scored*
2022 - 92 pts Wine Advocate
The new red 2022 Fontecón comes from a plot that was replanted in 2011 with Caíño, Espadeiro and Albariño of which they used 80% Caíño Tinto and 20% Espadeiro to produce this first red blend. It is primary and fruit-driven, with herbal notes. It is from a year when the red grapes ripened thoroughly, and it still has a moderate 11.5% alcohol and a medium-bodied palate with very fine tannins. This is clearly a red from Galicia. 1,000 bottles produced.
The new red 2022 Fontecón comes from a plot that was replanted in 2011 with Caíño, Espadeiro and Albariño of which they used 80% Caíño Tinto and 20% Espadeiro to produce this first red blend. It is primary and fruit-driven, with herbal notes. It is from a year when the red grapes ripened thoroughly, and it still has a moderate 11.5% alcohol and a medium-bodied palate with very fine tannins. This is clearly a red from Galicia. 1,000 bottles produced.
Zárate Fontecón Tinto is a blend of 70% Espadeiro and 30% Caiño Tinto, named for the plot from which it comes, Fontecón is very much a representation of its site. Poor thin soils over granite produce a wine that is chock full of fleshy red fruits and minerally salty notes with a nose that's surprisingly rich and seductive. This whole-bunch juice is loaded with stemmy flavors of red fruits, cracked black pepper, and freshly cut herbs. Mouthfeel is very fresh, brisk, with tart fruit skin grip and predictably high coastal acidity. So pretty and light, clocking in at just below 12%. Average production of just 130 cases.
ZARATE
A friend of mine was in Spain earlier this year and had the very lucky privilege to taste the Zarate wines with proprietor and winemaker Eulogio Pomares. What a great and incredible experience that I hope to also experience on a future trip to Spain. He called it the highlight of his trip and have no reason to doubt him as these are widely considered amongst the wine pros as the best there is for Albarino on the planet. On more than one occasion, I have read about these being called the Raveneau of Spain, named after the highly sought-after wines from Chablis that fetch $400 for the Premier Crus and up to $2,000 for the grand crus.
The Zarate estate has a long history, dating back to 1707. In 1850, they planted what is now Rias Baixas’ oldest documented pre-phylloxera Albariño vineyard called El Palomar (pre-sale below), which still produces wine to this day. Today, the winery is run by 7th generation, Eulogio Pomares, who started in 1999. Like many top winemakers, he is not only uber-fastidious in the vineyards and cellar, but he is also one who is a lover of the great wines of the world and makes it a point to visit top domaines from all over the wine world.
The Prerequisites Of What Make a Great Estate exist here:
- Some of the most distinctive, complex and age-worthy white wines made in Spain, crafted from mostly old vines of Albariño
- Organic and Biodynamic in the vineyard and cellar
- High Percentage of Old Vine Material – many pre-phylloxera and pie franco (own-rooted)
- Eulogio Pomares is also one who is a lover of the great wines of the world and makes it a point to visit top domaines in Burgundy, Barolo and Champagne - sharpening his techniques and perspectives for his own wines
