Albamar
Xurxo Alba is the driving force behind Albamar, a small family estate based in Cambados, in the Salnés Valley, at the heart of Galicia’s Rías Baixas. Both the winery and the two hectares of owned and rented vineyards lie close to the Atlantic Ocean, an influence that is central to his philosophy and to the wines he produces at the mouth of the River Umia. This protected area is notably rich in migrating birdlife.
He does not till the soil, preferring instead to break it lightly to allow it to breathe. Grapes are pressed with their stalks, fermentations rely on indigenous yeasts, and since 2011 there has been no malolactic fermentation in his entry-level wine. He does use SO₂—mildew and powdery mildew are persistent in this coastal environment—but only in moderate amounts. Now in his early forties, Xurxo began in 2006 with 2 ha of family vineyards in Castrelo, in the Salnés Valley, planted on sandy granitic soils. Unable to expand due to prohibitively high land prices (around €300,000–400,000 per hectare), he rented additional plots and sourced small parcels of grapes from friends farming well in and around the village. Today, he works with 22 growers, buying the equivalent of 6 ha, and harvests the fruit with his own team.
Organic Practice and Resourcefulness
Working in a humid maritime climate, Xurxo seeks to treat both soil and vines with the utmost respect, following an organic approach in his own vineyards. He vinifies and bottles his wines in several small, cramped cellars behind the furancho, relying on a group of friends when bottling is required. Among them are a father and son whose livelihood involves the dangerous harvesting of the Galician delicacy percebes, barnacles that cling to rocks and cliffs at sea level.
Experimental, Natural Yeast Winemaking
The estate works exclusively from a single mountain pago at 900 metres in the San Martín de Valdeiglesias subzone — a site of granitic gravel, rocky outcroppings, and free-draining sandy soils swept by persistent winds. Old vines ranging from 40 to 110 years have developed deep root systems that access subsoil moisture, delivering consistent fruit quality even in difficult vintages. Yields average around 2,000 kg/ha — a fraction of regional norms — concentrating the natural balance of acidity, polyphenols, and mineral character that defines the estate’s wines.
Wines
Albamar
100% Albariño from multiple micro-plots. Sandy soils with 30-40 year old vines. The wine is aged 6-8 months on its lees in stainless steel tanks without malolactic fermentation to preserve the vineyard’s natural acidity.
Tasting Notes: Albamar is the most versatile wine in the cellar. Expressive on the nose with notes typical of the variety, soil, and region — salinity, citrus, green apple, pear, anise, and minerality. On the palate, vibrant, taut, and fresh.
12×750 ml. SKU: 173743 | 6×1500 ml. SKU: 70017
Alma de Mar
100% Albariño from a single plot planted just a few meters from the ocean. Vines planted in 1982 on sandy soils with some clay content. Low yields limit total production to 2,000 numbered bottles.
Tasting Notes: Alma de Mar is a wine of singular, defining character — a true reflection of its vineyard site, soil, and variety. Elegant and refined on the palate, with a creamy texture and considerable complexity.
6×750 ml. SKU: 70138
Pepe Luis
100% Albariño and perhaps the most personal expression from the winery. Vines planted in sandy soil 5-10 meters from the seashore. Fermentation starts in stainless steel and finishes in German foudres, where the wine rests without racking until bottling. Oak is present but the grape’s characteristics remain the main focus.
Tasting Notes: Pepe Luis is a wine built around oak complexity. On the nose, fruit and smoky undertones. On the palate, fino, enveloping, and refined — fruit and oak in balance, with fruit taking the lead and a smooth, unctuous finish.
6×750 ml. SKU: 173826
Finca O Pereiro
100% Albariño from a single plot beside Alma de Mar, but with higher clay content and trellised vines that generate lower yields. The proximity to the ocean creates a very particular wine. Lime, mint, eucalyptus, and iodine combine in an elegant and long expression.
Tasting Notes: Finca O Pereiro is an elegant yet restrained wine on the nose — a faithful expression of the clay soils from which it comes. Notes of low tide and seaweed alongside ripe fruit and an anise undertone. On the palate, the clay soil asserts itself again, lending structure, volume, body, and tension.
6×750 ml. SKU: 70023
O Sebal
100% Albariño from an isolated plot farmed organically with biodynamic practices. No SO2 added and no clarification or filtration of any kind. Aged 10-11 months on its lees in stainless steel tanks. Due to its natural cloudiness, this wine falls outside the DO Rías Baixas classification.
Tasting Notes: O Sebal is a wine of pronounced maritime character, with iodine and seaweed notes very much to the fore. At the same time, ripe apple and balsamic undertones come through. On the palate, fresh, saline, persistent, and long.
12×750 ml. SKU: 173776
69 Arrobas
100% Albariño from centenary vines, crafted to reflect varietal character, weather, and soil. The name references an old volume measure equivalent to 1,000 litres. Numbered bottles.
Tasting Notes: 69 Arrobas is a wine that clearly expresses the character of the variety, climate, and soil from which it comes. On the nose, sea air, seaweed, lime, and citrus, with the minerality of its origins coming through. On the palate, complex, intense, and long, with a saline finish characteristic of the house.
6×750 ml. SKU: 70253
Albamar Ceibo
100% Godello with DO Valdeorras from mountain vineyards on granite soils with some clay, producing a fresh expression of the variety. Fermented 50% in foudres and 50% in stainless steel.
Tasting Notes: Ceibo is a broad, glyceric, and elegant Godello with anise notes, showing salinity, minerality, fruit, and excellent acidity. On the palate, unctuous, pleasing, fresh, and full-bodied.
12×750 ml. SKU: 173813
O Esteiro
A red cuvée of Mencía, Caiño, and Espadeiro from old vines in sandy soils. Atlantic character with light color and high acidity. Aromas and flavors of red and black fruits, herbs, fennel, agave, smoke, and mineral notes. Sharp, light, fresh, and long. Whole cluster fermented and aged in 225 to 500-litre barrels for 10-12 months, followed by 6 months in stainless steel to round it out. Bottled without clarification or filtration.
Tasting Notes: O Esteiro is a wine of very defined style — elegance and purity. Deeply Atlantic in character, with a light, translucent cherry colour, with notes of eucalyptus, mint, and spice. Intense and fresh on the nose, with a pronounced balsamic quality. On the palate, a faithful reflection of the nose, with a refreshing finish.
6×750 ml. SKU: 173805
Fusco
100% Mencía, a perfect representation of the grape and the DO Ribeira Sacra where it’s grown on slate and granite soils in one of the coolest areas of the denomination. Mineral-driven with fruit present at every moment. Easy to drink, fresh, and Atlantic in character.
Tasting Notes: Fusco is a light, dynamic, and clean Mencía. Ripe fruit and minerality predominate, with an undertone of forest floor, all faithful to the character of the region. Easy-drinking, fresh, and Atlantic in spirit, with a lingering finish.
12×750 ml. SKU: 173818
Nai
100% Mencía also from Ribeira Sacra. Aged in French oak and German foudres. Clean medium-cherry red color. The nose shows a varietal explosion—clean and intense with abundant fruit and an ever-present mineral background. Round palate full of fruit with excellent acidity and a long finish. A fine wine.
Tasting Notes: Nai is a clear, cherry-red wine. The nose is a varietal explosion of fruit and mineral depth — clean and intense. On the palate, it mirrors that fruit-forward nose, with a generous, rounded character that is easy-drinking, pleasing, and long.
12×750 ml. SKU: 317459
