The original, seigniorial Albariño producer, based in the 16th century palace that dominates the central square of Cambados - capital of the traditional Salnés Valley and heartland of the original wine producing area when it was grape specific and long prior to its splitting into no fewer than 5 sub DO’s and mushrooming from perhaps a dozen to now virtually 200 producers.
Here, Juan Gil, whose family released the first ever estate bottled Albariño as long ago as 1928, continues to preside over a stylish, low-production operation based on a single benchmark style, which is simple, clean and gracious; while ringing the changes with 2 much lauded alternative styles: the delicious, buttery vanilla barrel-fermented 1583 - which has an impressive lightness of touch and no mean acidity - and the sublime, lees-aged Tercer Año/III, which is admirably fine, racy, and super tangy - characterized by the most amazing mandarine character.
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