2020 Ramón Bilbao Albariño

The winery takes its name from Ramón Bilbao Murga born in 1876 in Etxebarri. In 1914, he bought a grain warehouse and planted vineyards and by 1924 opened a bodega in Haro. In 1929, his son Enrique Bilbao took over his father’s business. Today, the bodega is owned by Zamora Company.

The company owns 205 hectares of old vineyards and works with wine growers producing grapes on 900 hectares in the area.

In 2020, Ramón Bilbao was named among 50 Most Admired Wine Brands in the World by Drinks International magazine.

The wines from Ramón Bilbao are created by their team of enologists consisting of Rodolfo Bastida (a Rioja native who has been leading the team since 1999), Sara Bañuelos (another Rioja native with a degree in Oenology), and Rosana Lisa (who brought her extensive experience in several Spanish appellations to Ramón Bilbao six years ago).

The region of Rías Baixas is named after the rías, or estuarine inlets, that flow as far as 20 miles inland. Rías Baixas is an Atlantic coastal region with a cool and wet maritime climate. The soil in the entire region is based on granite bedrock, but the inlets create five subregions of slightly different growing environments for its prized white grape, Albariño.

Albariño is described by wine experts as mouth-watering and clean, with a complexity that is nearly impossible to dislike. It is incredibly fruit forward for an “old world” wine with a medium body and high acidity. Under the name Alvarinho, it thrives in Portugal’s northwestern Vinho Verde region that, predictably, borders part of Spain’s Rías Baixas.

Winemaker’s notes on the 2020 Ramón Bilbao Albariño say, “Bright yellow with pale lemon and greenish hues. Elegant mineral and delicate white pear aroma. Nice acidity on the palate with eucalyptus and ripe granny smith apples. It is very fresh and juicy with a nice and subtle complexity of white flowers aromas and some tea flavors linger out to a pretty pleasant aftertaste.”

This medium-bodied Albariño will pair well with pasta, shellfish, appetizers and snacks, as well as vegetarian dishes.