Leirana is the entry level offering from Forjas del Salnes, a winery run by Rodrigo Mendez in the Rias Baixas region of Spain. Simply put, Rodrigo makes some serious and seriously delicious Albarino that have altered my understanding of what the grape is capable of. This bottling (and keep in mind this is the most simple wine in his roster) is from a vineyard planted between 1952 and 1982 on granitic sand at just 16 feet in elevage making it not only an old vine cuvee but also one of the most dramatically coastal wines out there. The grapes are crushed, fermented with indigenous yeast in steel and then aged 70% in neutral foudre (large oak barrel) and 30% in steel. This is crisp and fresh with considerable minerality but also shows some ripe citrus and orchard fruit notes – don’t expect a refreshing but neutral white wine, this is punchy stuff! Fantastic with anything from the sea, this would also work well with spring vegetable, white meat, or salty cheese. – Andy Paynter