Bodegas La Val : Arantei 2023

Characteristics and tasting advice for the Arantei 2023 cuvée from Bodegas La Val

Tasting

Color
The color presents a beautiful lemon yellow with green reflections.

Nose
The complex and intense nose reveals herbaceous notes of fennel and bay leaf, fruity aromas of apple, citrus notes (grapefruit, lychee), lees nuances (brioche) as well as mineral touches of quartz and flint.

Palate
The palate reveals a beautiful structure supported by a powerful acidity. The whole is harmonious and ends on a long finish with citrus notes.

Other characteristics

Alcohol: 12.5%
Total acidity: 6.9 g/l
pH: 3.38

An emblematic albariño from Rías Baixas

The property

Since 1985, Bodegas La Val has established itself as an emblematic estate and one of the founding pillars of the Rías Baixas appellation, in Galicia. Now owned by the prestigious CVNE House (reference of La Rioja), Bodegas La Val is among the largest wine estates in the region.

The vineyard

With 94 hectares of vines mainly dedicated to albariño, these exceptional terroirs (Vilachán, Taboexa, Arantei and Porto) shape wines of great finesse. Extending over 26 hectares of albariño planted in 1989, this vineyard, one of the oldest in Rías Baixas, is conducted in traditional pergola on an alluvial soil enriched by millennial deposits of the Miño river. Its depth and clay richness give it great resistance to water and thermal stress, while its orientation and mesoclimate favor optimal ripening and balanced musts.

The vintage

The 2023 vintage is among the earliest in the history of the appellation, with harvests starting as early as August 30. A warm and humid spring accelerated the vegetative cycle, while a summer with ideal conditions allowed a slow and harmonious ripening of the grapes. A successful flowering, combined with the absence of diseases and bad weather, resulted in a harvest of exceptional quality.

Vinification and aging

The grapes are hand-picked in 20 kg crates. A skin maceration at 10 °C for 4 hours precedes a gentle pressing, selecting only the free-run juice. Fermentation occurs spontaneously with the vineyard's indigenous yeasts. The wine is then aged for six months on its fine lees. An extended spring rest ensures natural clarification and stabilization. Finally, 10% of the wine is fermented in one-year-old French barrels (500 liters).

Blend

Albariño (100%)