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 2022
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 20-30 year-old vines.
Winemaking: The must is drained and cold fermented using indigenous yeasts to highlight the primary varietal aromas. Once complete, the wine is cold stabilized and filtered to preserve the aroma and freshness.
Production: 2,083 cases
Eulogio Pomares Pedraneira 2021
100% Albariño from a tiny plot 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 sea.
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 until spring 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 2020
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
Eulogio Pomares Penapedre 2019
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: 2,500 bottles
Professional Reviews
RP95 - Eulogio Pomares Pedraneira 2018
Reviewed by: Luis Gutiérrez
Issue Date: Feb 28, 2022
The 2018 Pedraneira is a new Albariño from a vineyard called Francón in Castrelo (Cambados) on the banks of the Umia River, with vines planted 30 years ago on clay soils by the sea. It fermented in a 2,500-liter oak vat where it matured with the lees but without bâtonnage and going through full malolactic. This had a a long aging in vat with the lees. It's a classical and expressive wine, with notes of recently cut grass, a moderate 12.5% alcohol and integrated acidity. The wines with malolactic seem to age very nicely, and in the long run they might even be better! This is excellent. 3,300 bottles were filled in October 2020. There's no 2019 of this wine; from here they'll jump to 2020. Drink 2022-2030.
RP93 - Eulogio Pomares Fento Xabre Mencia 2017
Reviewed by: Luis Gutiérrez
Issue Date: May 14, 2020
The stylish, balanced and nicely crafted 2017 Xabre fits the quiet personality of Pomares - sleek, polished and balanced. It's medium-bodied, has very fine tannins and integrated acidity and feels seamless, elegant and nuanced, tender and subtle rather than rustic and explosive. It's delicious, really pleasant and tasty. Drink 2020-2025.
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.
