Bodegas Zarate

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Bodegas Zarate 2025 Albarino, Rias Baixas DO

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For anyone seeking a benchmark expression of Albariño, Bodegas Zárate is an essential reference point. In the 1950s, Ernesto Zárate became the first producer to bottle single-vineyard Albariño, helping establish the variety's reputation both within Spain and abroad. He pioneered many of the quality-focused winemaking practices still used in Rías Baixas today and founded the annual Albariño Festival in Cambados, the capital of Val do Salnés. After winning the festival's top prize three consecutive years, he withdrew his wines from competition, declaring he would not return until another grower matched his achievement.

Today, the estate is led by 7th generation winemaker Eulogio Pomares, one of the most respected voices in Galicia. While Albariño is often associated with youthful, early-drinking wines, Pomares has dedicated his career to demonstrating the grape's remarkable capacity for complexity and longevity. His work has helped redefine the possibilities of the variety and elevate the reputation of the region's finest vineyard sites.

The estate farms some of the most historic vineyards in Rías Baixas, including El Palomar, the region's oldest documented Albariño vineyard, planted before phylloxera in 1850. Committed to preserving this viticultural heritage, Pomares relies on massal selections from the estate's oldest vines for all new plantings. Farming is conducted according to biodynamic principles (a seemingly impossible feat in what is Spain’s coolest and wettest winegrowing region), with no soil tilling since 1994. Cover crops encourage biodiversity, while local seaweed, seashells, and homemade biodynamic preparations replace conventional fertilizers and insecticides. The result is a vibrant vineyard ecosystem that produces wines of exceptional purity and site expression.

In the cellar, Albariños are fermented with native yeasts and aged on their lees to build texture and complexity. Sulfur use is kept to an absolute minimum, often added only at bottling as needed for stability. The resulting wines combine Atlantic freshness with depth, structure, and remarkable aging potential.

While Zárate is best known for Albariño, Pomares also produces outstanding reds from native Galician varieties such as Espadeiro, Caiño Tinto, and Loureiro Tinto. These wines pay homage to the red grapes that dominated local viticulture before phylloxera reshaped the region in the late nineteenth century. Fermented in open-top oak vats and aged in large neutral barrels, they rank among Galicia's most compelling and distinctive red wines.

With more than seven generations of family history behind it, Bodegas Zárate remains one of the defining estates of Rías Baixas. Through meticulous farming, thoughtful winemaking, and a deep respect for tradition, Eulogio Pomares continues to push the boundaries of what Albariño and Galicia can achieve.

Media Links
Wineanorak.com: Visiting Zarate with Eulogio Pomares, one of the most exciting producers in Rías Baixas, Spain