James Suckling (97/100)
This is exceptional, with an austere nose of dried apricots, salt and crushed stones. It shows a gentle evolution. The palate is incisive, with a voluminous texture that beautifully complements the tension. This comes from a very sandy parcel planted in 1960. This will benefit from some bottle age.
R. Parker (96/100)
I have to let you know that there might be some variability in the bottles of the 2020 Leirana Areas de Arra, as the first bottle I tasted had clear signs of prem-ox à la Bourgogne Blanc, and the 2022 from last year also had an oxidative profile, which I assumed was because of the warm and dry vintage. However, a second bottle was magnificent. Of course, the wine has a deeper color and a more evolved nose because it's a 2020, which I tasted next to other younger wines. But it's an evolution in terms of complexity and nuance. The wine benefited from aeration, developing further notes of pollen, nettle, yellow fruit and wet stones. It comes in at a moderate 12.5% alcohol, with a pH of 3.26 with 7.8 grams of acidity, meaning contained ripeness and very good freshness and acidity. This comes from one of the few places in Rías Baixas with pure beach sand, where the vines are extremely old; they reckon 80% of the plants are over 100 years old. The juice from the pressing of the destemmed grapes fermented in 500-liter barrels without temperature control, and the wine matured in those barrels for 12 months. After the experience with the first bottle, I left the wine in the glass overnight, and it didn't develop any oxidation, just further aromas: peat, dry hay and flowers.
600 bottles produced.