The 2009 Albarello is produced with a grape not allowed by the DO (called Brancellao in other parts of Galicia) and therefore Vino de Mesa. It shows a dark cherry color, and it’s extremely aromatic, with notes of violets, overripe peaches and apricots. Smelling the fruit, it’s clear that 2009 was an extremely warm vintage. The palate shows a ripe, dense, velvety wine, more Mediterranean than Atlantic, with a touch of rusticity and the finish dominated by wild herbs and flowers. Drink 2013-2015. Quinta da Muradella was created in 1993 by Jose Luis Mateo with 15 hectares of owned vineyards in different zones of the Monterrei appellation, some on the valley floor, some on the slopes and some others in the mountain zones where some vineyards reach 100 years of age. He works 20 different plots. All his vineyards are organically certified. He makes a total of 40,000 bottles per year, and experiments with different grapes, different zones, fermenting and aging vessels (wood, stainless steel, concrete) trying to understand the region and the grapes and what works best. Sometimes it’s difficult to understand the process he uses to make some of the wines, and you’ll see that he moves the wines from inox to barrel, from cement to whatever, in what seems to be quite a complicated operation. Some things work and some don’t. He makes varietal wines to examine the different grapes and their potential, he tries different blends, and his ultimate idea is to identify the ideal blend of ancient varieties, the ones that were planted in the region before phyloxera, not only to make the wine, but to plant those varieties already mixed in the vineyard. His collection of wines is completely different from the rest of the wines produced in the appellation. If you ever visit Verin, which has a beautiful old town center and an impressive castle, you should make sure you visit the Mateo family’s bar, A Canteira (the name comes from their father who was a canteiro, a stone mason), where they serve their own house wine, both white and red, made by Jose Luis. It is the best house wine I’ve ever tried in a restaurant. The locals just don’t know how lucky they are. About the person himself, Jose Luis Mateo is extremely humble, a quality I find in the best people across different professions – very generous with his time and everything else. He’s passionate about what he’s doing, and he considers his work a long-term project to bring value and quality to the wines of his region, “hoping that someone will take over and continue the things that I’m doing,” he said. When I asked him what he’d change if he could start again he was very clear. “I’d focus on the mountain vineyards,” he told me. I asked what if it had to be somewhere else in Galicia? “To me the place would be Ribeiro.” And now for something completely different! Jose Luis has been making a range of varietal red wines that he was reluctant to show, since quantities are sometimes tiny, but I found some of them too good not to talk about them; some are also non-DO wines declassified to the Vino de Mesa category. Importer: Ole Imports. New Rochelle, NY; tel. (914) 740-4724

The 2008 QDM Albarello (100%) is another resurrected variety that began its disappearance around 1850 due to the disease, oidium, followed by phylloxera. It is the earthiest of these resurrected varieties along with lots of spice and floral notes. Tight, savory, and impeccably balanced, it requires another 3-4 years of cellaring and will offer a drinking window extending from 2015 to 2028. Quinta da Muradella, located in the town of Verin in the Monterrei DO, is a garage winery where proprietor Jose Luis Mateo and Raul Perez make wine from 34 unique, certified organic, parcels. A principal purpose of the project is to relate the history of the region through the wines. That fascinating story goes beyond the bounds of this report but the importer can provide more detailed information to those interested. Importer: Ole Imports, New Rochelle, NY; www.oleimports.com

The 2007 Albarello (100% Albarello aka Brancellao) is produced from a grape that is nearly extinct, wiped out beginning in the 1850s from Oidium and subsequently by phylloxera. These vines are 9 years old and only 33 cases were produced. It presents a unique aromatic array (it was always regarded as an intensely aromatic variety) with a roasted, plum compote character. Sweetly-fruited and seamless on the palate, this is a concentrated, elegant offering with no hard edges. It is drinking splendidly now but should easily last for 6-8 years. Master Sommeliers, take notice! Quinta de Muradella, located in the town of Verin in the Monterrei DO, is a garage winery where proprietor Jose Luis Mateo and Raul Perez make wine from 34 unique, certified organic, parcels. A principal purpose of the project is to relate the history of the region through the wines. That fascinating story goes beyond the scope of this report, but Ole Imports has it available to those interested. Importer: Ole Imports, New Rochelle, NY; www.oleimports.com