Pazo Barrantes La Comtesse de Pazo Barrantes

Rías Baixas, Spain

Vintage:2020 (Current)

2016 (Past) | 2017 (Past) | 2018 (Past) | 2019 (Current) |

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Pazo Barrantes La Comtesse de Pazo Barrantes 2020
  • WA 96
  • JS 96
  • WS 92

Reviews

Wine Spectator 92 Points June 2026, Alison Napjus

Golden apple, macadamia nut, and juicy apricot and yellow melon notes are a warm and inviting entry point for this elegant white. Finely meshed, integrating mouthwatering acidity and a subtle skein of underlying salinity. This persists on the palate, echoing accents of chamomile, preserved lemon, flint and thyme. Drink now through 2035. 444 cases made, 20 cases imported.

JamesSuckling.com 96 Points July 2025, Jacobo García Andrade

Exceptional, with one of the most distinctive aromatic profiles for an albarino. Herbal on the nose, showing green ginger, limes and passion fruit. The medium- to full-bodied palate is balanced with subtle ripeness and mind-blowing precision and harmony. From a vineyard planted in 1965 on sandy soils. Fermented and aged in 3,000-liter French oak vats, with 18 months in concrete tanks. Drink or hold. Only 9,972 bottles produced.

The Wine Advocate 96 Points July 2025, Luis Gutiérrez

The 2020 La Comtesse was produced with the Albariño grapes from a 1.4-hectare plot called Cacheiro, where they have their oldest vines (from 1965) that deliver lower yields. This has a slightly darker color, denoting its age. The juice from the pressing of the destemmed grapes fermented for 60 days in 3,000-liter oak vats, where the wine matured for 12 months, the first three with the lees, and then it was kept in concrete for a further 18 months, which is more time in concrete than in previous years. The wine is complex and subtle, very elegant, with notes of aged Albariño, mixing citrus fruit with notes of bay leaf and hay but no trace of oak. It's powerful, long and balanced, with the classical salty twist in the finish. It's silky, elegant and serious, still undeveloped but with more complexity and depth than its younger sibling from 2022 that I tasted next to it. It comes in at 13.5% alcohol, with a pH of 3.08 and 7.7 grams of acidity. 9,972 bottles and 723 magnums produced. It was bottled in June 2023. It will not be released until the end of 2025 or early 2026.

Overview

Pazo de Barrantes, a wine that captures the subtle flavor and freshness of albariño, comes from one the largest single estates in Salnés Valley, Rías Baixas D.O. of Galicia, Spain. The wine’s true albariño character is a direct reflection of the Creixell family’s core values of quality and estate-owned vineyards, paired with a modern winemaking approach and the latest technology.

The grapes used to elaborate the wine are sourced from Pago Cacheiro, a 3.7-acre single-vineyard on the Pazo de Barrantes estate, a 29.6 acre estate located in the Salnés Valley, heart of Rías Baixas. The estate's soils are granitic, with sand on the surface and the average age of the vineyard is 40 years old. 

Winemaking

After an exhaustive selection, the grapes are destemmed and gently and slowly pressed in a pneumatic press. The must is decanted by flotation to ensure greater aromatic purity and then fermented at 10°C in 3,000-litre French oak vats for approximately 60 days. The wine is aged 12 months in 3,000 L French oak vats, of which 3 months in contact with the lees and 18 months in concrete tanks.

Tasting Notes

The 2020 vintage reflects an honest, terroir-driven Comtesse. A straightforward nose with bay leaf, mint and blood orange emerging over an infusion of citrus peel and red grapefruit. On the palate, it is sharp and vibrant in length, finding balance through a savoury, saline texture.

Harvest Notes

The harvest was carried out in 18 kg crates on September 12, 2020.

Food Pairing

La Comtesse allows for bolder pairings with different textures and flavors. Seared crayfish with fresh pasta and vegetables; grilled lobster with mayonnaise; steamed prawns with mustard and truffle oil; warm shrimp salad with honey mustard and green apples. The recommended serving temperature is 55ºF to 57ºF, allowing the flavors and complexity to show at their best.

Technical Information

Varietals: 100% Albariño

Wine Alcohol: 13.5%

Harvest Start Date: September 12, 2020

Bottling Date: June 2023