2023 Serra da Estrela Albarino Rias Baixas 750 ml

Price inflation in top-class Albariño in the last 15 years has been SHOCKING.

What you could once find for around $17 now runs well into the $20s, with some examples skipping past $40 and even $50. To be fair, the increase is deserved: Albariño is one of the most compelling white grapes in the world, packed with blossomy aromas and juicy orchard-fruit, with a refreshingly acidic cut—and it’s capable of true greatness.

The 2023 Serra da Estrela Albariño recalls the good old days—bottle that captures the peachy essence of Albariño and takes us back to when we fell in love with it.

Adegas Valmiñor, producer of the Serra de Estrela, was founded in 1997 in the southern zone of Rías Baixas, on the frontier with Portugal. Cristina Mantilla has been the winemaker from the very beginning, and in 2003, she founded her own enology consultancy, Mantivinos, as her renown as a winemaker grew. She has an immense pride in Rías Baixas’ province, Galicia, once explaining to Wine Enthusiast that “I am Gallega [from Galicia], and there is an enduring ‘Atlantic’ personality to the wines of my homeland. Showing this style is what motivates me the most.”

The meaning of “Serra da Estrela” is twofold: First, it’s a famous Portuguese cheese listed in The Ark of Taste, an international catalog of endangered heritage-foods, which is maintained by Slow Food. The cheese also happens to be a perfect pairing for this Albariño. Second, it’s named for the Serra da Estrela Natural Park and its mountain chain, and the winery says the Albariño seems to mirror the clear streams, green reflections, and freshness of this area.