Rodrigo Méndez
6 February 2025
You might think you know Albariño. It’s simple, mass-produced, and unambitious, right? Not to Rodrigo Méndez. He is one of Spain’s most brilliant winemakers, and he is producing serious fine wines in Rías Baixas, levels above what most of his neighbours consider possible.
We are in the Val do Salnés. All around is Albariño country, where supermarket-conquering, box-ticking wines are the currency. The vast majority of producers here like it that way, but Méndez aims higher. From a selection of vineyards around his home village of Meaño, he crafts vineyard-specific fine wines that each carry a unique signature.
His approach is defiantly old school. Discarding the safe, character-stripping technology that now dominates local production, he farms organically, uses only wild yeasts and has brought back old oak barrels. He also makes red wine - a regional rarity - reviving unregarded local grape varieties.
When we first tasted these wines, we were astonished by their level of detail. They are beautifully structured, with excellent ageing potential, yet complete and satisfying already. Above all, they do what only skilfully crafted, genuine fine wine can do - they capture the character of a place in a bottle. In a region where industrialised wine has long been the standard, they are a revelation.
WHITE
Cíes Albariño 2023 (£23.50)
Rodrigo’s ‘village’ white, from Albariño vines planted in the 50s and 60s at sea level.
‘O Raio da Vella’ Albariño 2023 (£39)
Single vineyard Albariño aged on its lees for for a year in old oak.
‘Salvora’ Albariño 2023 (£53.50)
From a single vineyard of 100+ year old vines. Fermented in foudres and aged for a year in old oak.
RED
Cíes Tinto 2021 (£23.50)
Rodrigo’s ‘village’ red is a blend of local varieties Caiño, Espadeiro and Loureiro.
‘O Raio de Vella’ Espadeiro 2022 (£39)
100% Espadeiro fermented in foudres, then aged on its lees in old oak for 11 months.
‘O Raio da Vella’ Caiño 2022 (£39)
100% Caiño fermented in steel then aged on its lees in old oak for a year.
‘As Covas’ Pinot Noir 2022 (£55.50)
Fermented spontaneously in open vats, then aged on its lees in old oak for 11 months.