Bodegas Forjas de Salnés Leirana Albariño 2024 750ml

The 2024 Albariño Leirana is from Salnés, Rías Baixas. This aged in stainless steel and foudre. It opens with linden, acacia and floral aromas, with hints of spice and peach. The palate is saline, slender and lively, with freshness and subtle complexity. This finishes with a touch of ginger cookie and a granitic texture typical of Salnés. The 2024 is complex and refined.<br/><br/>

The 2024 Leirana, which represents the character of the Salnés Valley through different vineyards and locations in a fresh and Atlantic way, is the intro to the 2024 vintage, a year with good ripeness. The wine reached 13.4% alcohol, meaning full development of aromas and flavors, while keeping notable acidity and freshness, showcased by a pH of 3.23 and 7.8 grams of acidity. The nose is harmonious and young but quite expressive of freshly cut grass, flowers and sea breeze. The destemmed grapes were pressed, then the juice was left to settle and ferment with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel (20%) and oak foudres, and then it matured for eight months. It has an intense and pungent palate with granite minerality, a fine thread of acidity going through its core and with a salty twist in the finish. This year, it has a little bit more of everything. It was bottled in June 2025, a mere few days before I tasted it, yet the wine felt relaxed. 60,000 bottles produced.

The gentler 2022 Leirana reflects a warmer year of rounder wines and slightly lower acidity. They are increasing the amount of oak, and eventually, this could end up being 100% in (used and large) foudres, but the wines don’t show any oak. They blended all the wines before they are put in foudre, and they feel it results in better integration of the wine. This represents the Salnés region of Rías Baixas with the salty and tasty marine and granite twist. 40,000 bottles. There are two lots of this wine; the first one was bottled in April 2023.

Medium yellow to the eye, this wine has a bouquet of lemon curd, cocoa butter and rose petal. A soft floral note permeates the palate alongside peach, apricot, lemon, butterscotch and slivered almond flavors. (Mike DeSimone)