Mar de Frades learns from the Atlantic to cement Albariño expertise
In both its winery and its vineyards across Rías Baixas, Mar de Frades is finding innovative ways to develop expertise for its Atlantic-influenced Albariño.
With nearly 40 years at the forefront of Albarino winemaking, some of the region’s top vineyards and an instantly recognisable bottle in signature blue glass, Mar de Frades has established itself as a leading player in Rías Baixas. And, under the watchful eye of winemaker Paula Fandiño, the producer is continuing to push boundaries with Galicia’s famous, saline-driven grape.
At the heart of the project is Mar de Frades Albariño, sourced from vineyards across the Val do Salnés subregion. The aim is to offer an Albariño which expresses this corner of northeast Spain in its purest, Atlantic form. As Paula says, this is “an Albariño which reflects the landscape of its origin, but always with the character of the Atlantic Ocean on the horizon with all its untamed purity.”
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Innovation, however, is both developing this key expression and helping Mar de Frades discover new avenues for this grape. In just the last 15 years, it has released the first 100% Albariño sparkling wine made with the traditional method, implemented innovative Ganimede fermenters and experimented with granite and concrete vessels for ageing. The unifying thread, of course, has been to uncover the maximum expression of Albariño.
Moreover, Mar de Frades is increasingly innovating with its single sites, now boasting three individual finca wines, allowing Paula to really dig into the viticulture of Rias Baixas. From the ageworthy wines of Finca Valiñas, to the more continental Finca Monteveiga estate, to the granite-heavy land that defines Finca Lobeira, the winery can now explore the wealth of terroirs in this coastal region. As its innovations and explorations feed back into future winemaking, the Albariño expertise at Mar de Frades only continues to grow.
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