Bodegas La Val, which belongs to the CVNE group, has released the second vintage of this unique Albariño, which made a powerful debut with a score of 92 Parker points for the 2023 vintage. Orballo 2024, 100% Albariño, was grown on from the winery's closest vineyard to the sea: Vilachan, located in the subzone of O Rosal (D.O. Rías Baixas). The process involved complex ageing on lees in three types of containers: stainless steel, concrete and earthenware. The result is an Albariño with lots character, in which the salinity and minerality typical of its place of origin come through, with a very expressive nose and a very fresh palate.
Consumption features
Serving temperature
Consumption time
General features
Type of wine
Region
Grape variety
100% Albariño
Type of bottle
Burgundy
Capacity (cl)
75
Bottling
abr-25
Total acidity (g/l)
7.5
Volatile acidity (g/l)
0.4
Sugar
0.9
pH
3.2
Alcohol content (% vol.)
12.5
General Information
Orballo 2024 – which means ‘dew’ in Galician – is a single-varietal Albariño that comes from the Vilachan estate (50 hectares) in the O Rosal subzone. On this south-facing estate the vines grow in schist soils near the mouth of the Miño River on the Atlantic coast and are trained using different systems ranging from traditional to the most modern espaliers.
Hand-picked in 20 kg crates. Cold maceration of the grapes for 6 hours at 10 ºC. Gentle pressing to separate the free-run juice, followed by clarification to obtain a clean must for fermentation for two to three weeks at a controlled temperature of around 16 ºC. Spontaneous fermentation in two 5,000-litre vats. The resulting wine was then aged for 6 months on its lees in three types of containers: stainless steel, concrete eggs and earthenware.
Founded in 1985 by José Limeres Guille, who is now Honorary President, La Val was one of the first brands in the D.O. Rías Baixas and one of the pioneering wineries that recognised the potential of the Albariño grape. Its first step was to acquire the La Val estate (O Rosal), on the banks of the Miño. From there, it expanded its vineyard by searching for good-quality plots to start new plantations.
In 2003, the winery moved its production to the Arantei estate, located in the heart of the Condado de Tea, where it built new, modern facilities surrounded by 35 hectares of vineyards with an average age of 30 years. In a region where smallholdings are predominant, La Val is one of the wineries with the largest expanse of vineyards in the D.O. Rías Baxias, with 53 hectares spread over different estates.
In 2023, CVNE, one of the most prestigious wine groups in the country, acquired the winery, giving it a new lease of life. 70% of La Val's sales are destined for the international market.
The white wine Orballo 2024 is ideal with sea bass cokked in a salt crust or baked.
The winery
Founded in 1985, La Val was one of the first brands of the D.O. Rías Baixas and one of the pioneering wineries to recognize the potential of the albariño grape. Its first step was the acquisition of the La Val estate (O Rosal), on the banks of the Miño River. From there, it expanded its vineyard by seeking high-quality land to start new plantations.
In 2003, it moved its production to the Arantei Estate, located in the heart of Condado de Tea, where it built new and modern facilities surrounded by 35 hectares of vineyards with an average age of 30 years. In a region dominated by smallholdings, La Val is one of the wineries with the most owned vineyards in the D.O. Rías Baixas, with 53 hectares spread across different estates.