Rías Baixas Vintage Chart

Following a wet winter, mild temperatures led to early budding, but rainfall in May triggered fungal diseases and growers had to work hard to fight mildew. The rest of the spring was dry and warm leading to a generous crop. Despite these conditions, the region experienced a record harvest. The only sub-zone to see a significant decrease was the inland region of Condado do Tea. Early reports point to well-defined, relatively fresh whites with good aromatic intensity but with less cellaring potential.

After a dry winter and a mild spring that delayed budbreak by two weeks, the spring rain and mild weather accelerated flowering. The summer was very warm and dry, so grapes where healthy and, compared to previous years, mildew was not an issue. Yields were quite high. So much so that the region experienced its third largest harvest on record (only behind 2017 and 2021). Even though yields were higher than average most producers agreed that quality was still good. Slightly higher alcohol was offset by good levels of acidity. The style may resemble other warm vintages like 2017 and 2020 with direct, lush, pleasant, balanced wines.

The 2021 vintage was marked by high yields that resulted in record production. Cool temperatures delayed the ripening process with Albariño performing much better than red varieties which were widely affected by botrytis. The fine weather in September provided a staggered harvest. Provided that yields were not excessive, the resulting wines have good structure and volume, vibrant acidity and with significatively lower alcohol than the two previous vintages. It is a bit early, however, to assess its aging potential.

Early budding marked the entire cycle. This, combined with copious spring rainfall, led to numerous early mildew outbreaks. Fortunately, in July, welcome northern winds helped to change the course of the season – moisture dropped, and the rest of the summer was mostly dry leading to a comfortable harvest. Nevertheless, losses due to mildew were considerable. Despite all the drawbacks, the quality was very good. Wines feature lower levels of alcohol compared to 2019 and have less malic acid but are still balanced and expressive.

Following a quick budding, spring was marked by sharp temperature variations leading to early outbreaks of mildew and irregular flowering with plants producing less clusters per bud. This, together with the absence of rain during the roughly 40 days of ripening, resulted in lightweight clusters with little must. Nevertheless, the grapes were perfectly healthy. The wines featured higher alcohol than normal, but malic acid levels were also relatively high. There is a great deal of concentration, but the wines are fresh and approachable. It was also a good year for red wines.

This was a standard vintage in the region in terms of rainfall and harvest dates. A rather cold, wet spring delayed the cycle, but plants made up for lost ground thanks to the sunny and dry weather conditions enjoyed across August and September that allowed producers to choose just the right moment to harvest. Yields were higher than expected and pH levels were slightly above average. There were no major drawbacks, so this is a good vintage to look for aged Albariños from reliable producers. Reds benefited from the warm summer.

2017

This was a standard vintage in the region in terms of rainfall and harvest dates. A rather cold, wet spring delayed the cycle, but plants made up for lost ground thanks to the sunny and dry weather conditions enjoyed across August and September that allowed producers to choose just the right moment to harvest. Yields were higher than expected and pH levels were slightly above average. There were no major drawbacks, so this is a good vintage to look for aged Albariños from reliable producers. Reds benefited from the warm summer.

Following a rainy winter, the beginning of spring was also wet with below average temperatures. Mildew was an issue during flowering, but things improved notably thanks to a great weather during the summer and particularly in August. High temperatures reduced malic acid levels and increased alcohol. Rainfall in September led to the appearance of botrytis, but grapes ripened well. Acidity levels varied depending on whether grapes were harvested before or after the rain and were slightly lower in the O Rosal and Condado do Tea sub-zones. The Regulatory Council rated the vintage “Excellent.”

2015 is perhaps the vintage with the best aging potential of the decade, given the remarkable, slow evolution of the wines – particularly for aged Albariños. It was a highly productive year, which benefited from the absence of rain during the flowering period. July was warm, August slightly milder, and September’s rains did not create serious problems. Good levels of alcohol and acidity were achieved simultaneously providing perfect conditions for aging and for further development in bottle. Albariños from 2015 stand out for their high aromatic intensity, complexity, volume, balance, and length.

2014

2014 turned out to be a very disappointing vintage. Moderate summer temperatures and heavy rainfalls complicated the ripening process. A poorly timed downpour in mid-September also devastated vineyards and producers faced immense challenges. Deficient fruit-set reduced yields considerably while the incidence of mildew and botrytis forced a tedious selection process. As a result, wines were rather diluted and lacked concentration. 

This vintage started a cycle of cool harvests. Spring brought adverse weather conditions, with copious rainfall and cool temperatures that caused setting-failure. This affected bunch development and lead to an extremely short harvest. The poor weather continued during the first half of the summer but settled down during the second half. The wines showed a fresh profile with relatively high acidity.

The harvest in 2011 set a record as the largest in Rías Baixas. A warm, dry spring resulted in optimal flowering and fruit set. The favorable weather conditions during the harvest allowed producers to pick extremely healthy grapes in a selective, staggered way. It was an excellent vintage both in terms of quantity and quality which was reflected in the good evolution of the Albariños produced that year and their ability to age.

This generous vintage was very much welcome after two years of short harvests. The high temperatures during the summer led to an early harvest and allowed the grapes to complete the ripening cycle without issue. It was a warm year with slightly higher alcohol and lower acidity than the average in the area.