Rías Baixas 2011 vintage rated as ‘Very Good’

The presentation of the vintage is the first official act carried out by the Regulating Council’s new Chairman, Juan Gil de Araujo

07/12/2012

The rating was awarded after analysing the samples which represent the more than 10.5 million litres evaluated to date

DO Rías Baixas’ Regulating Council has officially rated the 2011 vintage as ‘Very Good’. This year’s rating announcement had the added bonus of being the first official act carried out by the regulating body’s new Chairman, Juan Gil de Araujo González de Careaga. The rating is the result of the rigorous analysis of wine samples representing the more than 10.5 million litres analysed up to 22^nd June.

The quality of the 2011 vintage is certified by the Regulating Council’s Tasting Panel, which carries out its evaluation via a series of blind tastings where each and every vat is tested, one by one, before the wine is bottled. Every wine sample is also subject to a physical-chemical analysis before being released on the market.

The decision made by the Regulating Council in plenary also took into account the technical report published by the DO’s Control and Certification Agency, giving rise to the recognition of the hard work carried out by the Rías Baixas’ wine sector in its constant strive to improve the quality of the region’s wines. The Regulating Council’s chairman stated that, “the Rías Baixas 2011 vintage has managed to maintain its characteristic mature fruity, floral and herbaceous notes”.

In recent years, Rías Baixas’ wines have become a benchmark of quality and are regarded as some of the best white wines in the world. The wines’ fundamental strength lies in the region’s native grape variety, Albariño, which gives them their unique characteristics, coupled with the conscientious work carried out by the region’s viticulturists whose aim is to improve quality via the painstaking care of the raw materials. Both aspects have contributed to the fact that Rías Baixas’ wines are now the best-selling Spanish wines in the US.

In fact confirmed by the appellation’s export sales in 2011 which were 18.36 per cent up on the previous year, representing sales of 4.2 million litres, strengthening its position in countries such as the US, mentioned earlier, the UK, Germany, Puerto Rico and Mexico, which have become the top-five export destinations for Rías Baixas’ wines.