Pazo da Sinsela San Clemente 2021

San Clemente is a new wine from Rodri Méndez and Raúl Pérez, sourced from very old vines within the walls of the 16th century Pazo da Sinsela. Showing everything that's good about 2021 – with none of the drawbacks – it's a remarkably complex wine, with aromas of sourdough bread and thatch, a dense, concentrated palate, subtle oak, a waft of incense and a salty, grippy, mineral-rich finish. 2024-32

This has a timid, citric nose of lemons, grapefruit and fresh herbs. The palate is medium- to full-bodied with freshness and subtle creaminess derived from aging. This comes from a specific parcel planted on the banks of the Umia River in Sisan with clay and granitic soil. This is one of the historic areas of albarino. Fermented and aged in a combination of 225-, 300- and 500-liter French-oak barrels. Drink or hold.

The 2021 San Clemente comes from the plot of older wines they have in the property. It fermented and matured in a 1,500-liter oak foudre, where it was kept with lees for 12 months. It's serious and austere, subtle and elegant, with good ripeness and 12.95% alcohol but very good freshness (pH 3.18) and notable acidity, with remarkable structure (in 2021, they got very low yields) and power. It's vibrant, vertical and mineral, very long and sharp. There's more intensity, and the wine is more incisive, different from the blend. A great debut. 2,000 bottles were filled in September 2022.