Fento/Eulogio Pomares - Rías Baixas & Ribeira Sacra

Eulogio Pomares is one of the geniuses of Galician winemaking. He is best known for his family's Zarate estate in Salnés, where he crafts some of the region's most coveted wines. Excited to work with vineyards outside of the family estate and Rías Baixas, Eulogio and his wife Rebeca started Fento, where they work with vineyards around Rías Baixas, Ribeira Sacra, and beyond.

Fento Bico da Ran 2023

100% Albariño from coastal vineyards in Salnés (sub-DO of Rías Baixas, and its most classic), no more than a mile from the ria (ocean inlets for which Rías Baixas is named). From 15-25 year-old vines.

Winemaking: Grapes are destemmed and gently pressed.  After a light racking, the must ferments spontaneously in steel tank and remains on the fine lees for 4 months.  Once complete, the wine is cold stabilized and filtered to preserve the aroma and freshness.

Production: 1,800 cases

Eulogio Pomares Pedraneira 2021

100% Albariño from a tiny plot (organic in practice) in the Francón vineyard on the banks of the Umia River. It’s the most coastal plot in the whole vineyard and the roots of the 40-year-old vines have direct contact with the Atlantic Ocean.

Winemaking: The harvest is done by hand and the meticulous grape selection is done within the Francón parcel itself. The grapes are destemmed and introduced into a long, soft press which yields a lower quantity of juice. After a light racking, the wine ferments spontaneously in a French barrel of 2500L where it stays on its lees for 6 months without bâtonnage. The wine completes a spontaneous full malolactic fermentation in its own time. After a light racking, it stays in the foudre for an additional three months while it melts into the perfect integration.

Production: 3,300 bottles

Eulogio Pomares Xabre Mencía 2021

90% Mencía, 5% Sousón, 3% Mouratón (Juan Garcia), and 2% Garnacha Tintorera (Alicante Bouchet) from 15-80 year-old vines.

Winemaking: 100% destemmed “to reflect the fragrance of the fruit”.  2-day cold soak followed by spontaneous fermentation in open top, 2000L foudre.  20 days maceration.  Aged first in used, 500L puncheons for 10 months, followed by blending into 4500L foudre, where it spends 6 months.  Bottled unfined/unfiltered, where it is held for a minimum of 6 months prior to release.

Production: 2,600 bottles (300 bottles imported)

Eulogio Pomares Penapedre 2019 & 2020

64% Mencia/21% Garnacha Tintorera & Unidentified Reds/14% Jaen Blanco (Palomino Fino) from the Penapedre vineyard in Ribeira Sacra. Some of the vines are 150 years old.

Winemaking:  Harvest is by hand and an initial sorting and selection of grapes takes place in the vineyard. Whole berries undergo a gentle foot treading to extract must in an open chestnut foudre (100% stem inclusion). Fermentation starts spontaneously with natural yeasts.  The wine stays in contact with the solids for 2 weeks after initial fermentation has finished and is left to age for 12 months in old French oak barrels where it undergoes malolactic fermentation. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Production: 2019 - 2,500 bottles (156 bottles imported) / 2020 - 2,000 bottles (120 bottles imported)

RP94 - Eulogio Pomares Pedraneira 2021

Reviewed by: Luis Gutiérrez

Issue Date: November 16, 2023

...fresh as a daisy, floral, marine and elegant, complex but not explosive, a little more introverted, with a faint lactic touch. It went through full malolactic, and 2021 was a year of high malic acid. Drink 2023-2028.

RP94 - Eulogio Pomares Penapedre Mencia Blend 2019

Reviewed by: Luis Gutiérrez

Issue Date: February 28, 2022

The red 2019 Penapedre comes from 0.66 hectares in Esperón, on the banks of the Miño River in Ribeira Sacra, one of the most reputed vineyards in the zone. It's from a steep slope (63.1% inclination!) planted with 64% Mencía, 22% Garnacha Tintorera and 14% Jaén Blanco, and the full clusters were foot trodden in open chestnut vats where it macerated for two weeks. The wine matured in 1,500-liter French oak vats for 12 months. This is sold without appellation of origin. This is from the same vineyard as before, but in 2019 they got a winery in Pantón and the jump in quality is amazing. The wine is floral and perfumed, a little in the style of the wines from Guímaro—elegant and aromatic. It's juicy and has fine tannins, medium-bodied and with moderate ripeness and alcohol. This is by far the best Penapedre. 2,508 bottles were filled in March 2021.