Santiago Ruiz Rias Baixas Blanco
WHY WE LOVE IT
- Santiago Ruiz’s Rias Baixas Blanco is a “must include” on any short list of iconic Rias Baixas wine. The O Rosal district enjoys the most exceptional conditions found in the Rias Baixas DO, thanks to its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and the Miño River.
- All five typical native varietals are used here!
Varietal Composition: Albariño, Loureiro, Godello, Treixadura, Caiño Blanco
Elaboration: Hand-harvested grapes from their own vineyards which after being selected in the sorting tables, are destemmed and softly crushed prior to macerating for 15-20 hours. Once the sediments are settled, the juice is fermented in small stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature of 61ºF for 20 to 21 days. Each variety is vinified separately and then blended to produce the distinctive Santiago Ruiz style.
Tasting Notes: Clear and bright yellow. Intense and complex nose showcasing aromas of fruit (apple, pear, apricot), herbs (lemon verbena, aniseed) and mineral notes. Full bodied, its fruity complexity returns combined with wet-stone minerality on the palate prior to a long and crisp finish.
PRESS
2019 – 91 James Suckling
2020 – 91 James Suckling
2021 – 91 James Suckling
2022 – 92 Vinous | 91 James Suckling
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
Most talk of Albariño wine inevitably leads back to talk of Bodega Santiago Ruiz and its founder, Mr. Santiago Ruiz, a man hailed as the “inventor” of Albariño wine. Located in the district of O Rosal, the bodega is one of the leading producers in Rias Baixas. Santiago Ruiz was a visionary, decades ahead of his time. In 1978 at the age of 70, retired from his everyday work obligations, he decided to devote his newfound free time to his real passion by following the tradition of his ancestors (His maternal grandfather was one of the first winemakers and leabellers in Galicia, founding his own bodega in 1860).
A stout defender of the quality of native grapes, Santiago Ruiz became an ambassador for Rias Baixas’ wines, traveling the length and breadth of Spain (mostly on foot), with the clear objective of heightening awareness of Rias Baixas among the most select restaurateurs and opinion leaders of the early 1980’s. He was convinced that Albariño could give rise to some of the best white wines in the world, and his trailblazing work has clearly made a mark in the wine world, with Rias Baixas Albariño now considered a “must have” on any thorough wine list or cellar.