Adega Ponte da Boga Albariño, Ribeira Sacra 2024

Adega Ponte da Boga works some of the most demanding vineyards in Spain - the near-vertical slate terraces of the Sil river canyon in Ribeira Sacra, where the fruit is carried up the slopes by hand. The cellar itself dates back to 1898; the Rivera family took it over in 2006 and turned it into one of the region's most respected names. Albariño is best known as a coastal grape from Rías Baixas, so growing it here, inland and high, is unusual. Ponte da Boga's comes from a small plot called O Condiño, where the vines sit at over 500 metres - serious altitude that gives the wine more tension and lift than the typical seaside version. It's fermented and aged in stainless steel, resting on its lees to build texture without losing freshness. The result is bright and aromatic: citrus and orchard fruit over a floral top note, with a stony, mineral edge that comes from the slate and schist soils. Fresh and precise, it's best served well chilled, around 8-10°C.