Pazo Cilleiro Albariño Arrives in the U.S.

Quintessential, the family owned-and-operated importer, marketing and sales company, is bringing to the U.S. the first Albariño produced by Bodegas Muriel, the well- known family-owned Spanish producer from the Rioja Alavesa region.

According to Dennis Kreps, who co-owns Quintessential with his father Stephen D. Kreps, “Pazo Cilleiro is a worthy addition to Bodegas Muriel’s roster of award-winning brands, including Bodegas Muriel, Vina Eguia and Conde de los Andes. As they have with their other wines, the Murua family is employing long-held Albariño winemaking traditions of the famed Rias Baixas appellation to allow the best qualities of the grapes to shine through.” He adds,
“Pazo Cilleiro is a true expression of the terroir of Rias Baixas, and a labor of love for the Murua family. We’re very pleased to bring this fine wine to Albariño aficionados in the U.S.”

The grapes come from small, select vineyards in Salnes Valley, in the municipality of Meis which is within the heart of Rias Baixas—Spain’s white wine capital—that follows the coast of Northeastern Spain, just above the Portuguese border. The vines (25 year-old or older) are planted in the Pergola trellising system, typical of the Galicia region. The grapes are harvested by hand and gently pressed, with the must moved into temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. Fermentation takes place over 14 days as the wine is softly macerated with part of the grape skins. The 2015 vintage did not undergo malolactic fermentation.

After four to five month in the tanks, the wine slowly undergoes a natural evolution to obtain structure and flavors. The result of this winemaking process, along with the combination of quartz-rich Granitic and acidic soils, is a lively, round and elegant Albariño, with clean and balanced undertones. Pazo Cilleiro is ideal for buyers seeking the singularities of the Albariño variety.

The 2015 Pazo Cilleiro Albariño is available at a suggested retail price of $19.99 and is imported and sold exclusively by Quintessential. For further information, visit www.quintessentialwines.com.