Eladio Pineiro Frore de Carme Solo Albarino 2018

Eladio Pineiro Frore de Carme Solo Albarino 2018

Eladio Pineiro
$58.00

Grape: Albarino
Vintage: 2018
Type: White

Originating from the granite-rich, Atlantic-swept Val do Salnés sub-region of Rías Baixas in Galicia, this flagship cuvée is a testament to patience and traditional low-intervention viticulture. Named in honor of Eladio Piñeiro's wife, Carmen, Frore de Carme ("Flower of Carmen") represents a deep dive into the aging potential of pure Albariño. Sourced from older, biodynamically and organically farmed vines planted on granite soils, the hand-harvested fruit undergoes an extended maceration on the skins followed by a long, slow primary fermentation with native yeasts. In the cellar, Piñeiro ages the wine on its fine lees in neutral vessels for several years, giving it remarkable textural depth before bottling it unfiltered.

In the glass, it pours a rich, luminous golden-yellow hue. The nose is extraordinarily complex, layered, and evolved, opening with aromas of candied lemon peel, nectarine, ripe yellow peach, fennel seed, and dried honeysuckle, tied together by a rich, pastry-like brioche character from the extensive lees contact. On the palate, a "crystalline" current of intense, Atlantic-driven acidity slices effortlessly through a mouth-coating, plush, and extract-rich texture. Notes of bitter orange, aniseed, and wild herbs mingle with a deep, persistent minerality. It glides into an exceptionally long, savory finish that leaves behind a mouthwatering trail of salinity, dried citrus peel, and crushed granite stone.

 

Benito Santos is an historically significant and pioneering winery in the Rías Baixas D.O. of Galicia, Spain, dedicated to producing authentic, terroir-driven Albariño. The founder, Benito Santos, was instrumental in establishing the Rías Baixas Denominación de Origen in the 1980s, building on a legacy of making prize-winning wines for his bar since the 1930s. Today, the estate is known for its deep respect for nature, working its vineyards—mostly in the prime Val do Salnés subzone—using certified organic practices, a rarity in this humid, mildew-prone Atlantic climate. The philosophy of "wine should be made in the vineyard not in the winery" is upheld by using only native yeasts and minimal intervention. The resulting wines are a benchmark for the region, characterized by vibrant acidity, pronounced saline minerality, and elegant notes of citrus, white flowers, and stone fruit, distinct from the overly tropical styles of some industrial Albariño. They produce single-vineyard bottlings named after neighboring ancient churches, such as *Igrexario de Saiar* and *Pago de Xoan*.