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Pazo San Mauro, a Single Estate, is located in north-western Spain, Galicia, inPorto-Salvatierra
de Miño overlooking the Río Miño which
forms the border between Spain and Portugal. They are in the
most southerly and mountainous subzone, Condado de Tea, within
the DO Rías Baixas, in the province of Pontevedra.
A winding road leads to the winery that is surrounded by an
almost hermetic forest of Atlantic pines. The Atlantic environment
of this area is the natural habitat of the Albariño,
practically the only conditions in which it may be grown.
In addition to the mild temperatures influenced by the proximity
of the ocean, there is abundant rainfall interspersed with
sunny spells, which ensures that the highest quality potential
is achieved by the vines.
Perched on the hilltop in a dominant position are the 16th century buildings of the Pazo and the Chapel, built in 1582, which face the evocative Portuguese tower, Lapela, on the other side of the Miño. Marqués
de Vargas bought Pazo San Mauro, a property of 300,000 sq.
m. in 2003. Their spectacular vineyards, rising up in wide terraces from
the Río Miño, form a large natural south-facing
amphitheatre enjoying an exceptional microclimate in this
most southern and sunniest area, which allows a more complete
and early maturity. The high summer temperatures reached in the Pazo San Mauro vineyards enable harvesting to be carried out 15/20 days before other areas of the Rias Baixas denomination and guarantee the required degree of alcohol - the minimum for the Albariño grape is 12deg C, and 11.5deg C for other varieties. Because of the high rainfall and considerable humidity, vines are trained on tall wire trellises anchored by granite or concrete posts, with grapes growing several feet off the ground, high enough for vineyard workers to stand upright beneath the clusters, which also allows for air circulation that ameliorates the effects of humidity-related diseases such as mildew. The leaf canopy also shades from over-exposure to the sun, a practical expedient because Galician summers historically can be surprisingly hot. The winery also works with the Treixadura, Loureira and Torrontes but the true queen of the vineyard is the Albariño. The winery is equipped with a pneumatic press, stainless steel tanks and a cooling system to stabilize the wine in isothermic tanks. Winemaker: Cristina Mantilla is a driving force in Rias Baixas. We are their appointed UK agents The wine may
be collected from Marqués de Vargas, Logroño.
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Click on the underlined grape varieties
for more information.
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