{"product_id":"albarino-3-crianzas-do-rias-baixas-2018","title":"Albariño \"3 Crianzas\" DO Rías Baixas 2018","description":"\u003ch4\u003eVineyard and winemaking\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMaior de Mendoza 3 Crianzas is made from 100% Albariño grown at the estate's Finca El Hórreo in the Val do Salnés. The vines were more than 36 years old at harvest and grow on Galicia's characteristic granite-derived soils, farmed by hand without herbicides or systemic treatments and cropped at deliberately modest yields.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 2018 fruit was hand-picked into small boxes, cooled and given around nine hours of cold skin contact before gentle pressing. Fermentation lasted approximately 21 days at controlled temperature, followed by nine months on fine lees, five months in stainless steel and a further five months in bottle: the three distinct stages that give the wine its name.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eTasting notes\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAppearance\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBright straw gold with green-gold reflections and a clear, gently mature sheen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eNose\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMandarin, lime and white peach are layered with quince, orange blossom and a fine savoury note of brioche, fennel and toasted hazelnut.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003ePalate\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTextured and composed, with ripe stone fruit and preserved citrus carried by lively Atlantic acidity. Extended lees contact gives breadth without blunting the wine's saline edge, and the finish is long, mineral and lightly nutty, showing the complexity Albariño can gain with time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eFood pairing\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eServe with roast turbot, crab ravioli, poached chicken with tarragon, or a creamy leek and mussel dish. Its combination of depth and freshness also suits aged Manchego, making it far more versatile than a simple aperitif white.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eBackground story\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Barros family began cultivating Albariño in the 1970s, before Rías Baixas had achieved denominación status. José Barros planted one of Galicia's largest contiguous areas of the variety at the time, and the family later founded Maior de Mendoza on slopes overlooking Carril and the Ría de Arousa.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMaior de Mendoza became an early Rías Baixas advocate of ageing Albariño on its lees. The 3 Crianzas 2018 takes that work further by separating maturation into lees, tank and bottle stages, producing a limited wine designed to reveal the variety's longevity as well as its immediate Atlantic freshness.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Maior de Mendoza","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54860657885566,"sku":"MM3CRIANZAS18","price":28.15,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0036\/1984\/8252\/files\/sc-representative-6-final-20261007-600x960.png?v=1791389066","url":"https:\/\/sommelierschoice.co.uk\/products\/albarino-3-crianzas-do-rias-baixas-2018","provider":"Sommelier's Choice","version":"1.0","type":"link"}