Pedro Méndez is a young producer in the Val do Salnés subzone of Rías Baixas, south of Galicia’s famous pilgrimage city of Santiago de Compostela. Although this wine is 100% albariño from the Rías Baixas D.O. (appellation), Pedro chooses not to use the appellation or denote the variety on the label - hence the name “Sen Etiqueta” (without a [designated] label). Soils are mostly xabre, the Galician name for decomposed granite, and the vines range from 30 to 80 years old. Indigenous fermentation and aging for 10 months on the lees happen in stainless steel. 12.5% alcohol. The wine smells of oyster shells and sea breezes; fresh herbs and clean stones. This clearly is an Atlantic-Ocean-influenced wine. The fruit is in the citrus realm, but it’s not about the fruit. The wine is savory and tart; both refreshing and deep. There is some leesy texture that provides mouthfeel and complexity. Drink it with oyster bisque, shellfish of all kinds, pimientos de padrón, or asparagus.
