Ladeiras do Xil Gaba do Xil "O Barreiro"

Ladeiras do Xil — named after the Sil River hillsides — is the Galician project of Pablo Eguzkiza and Telmo Rodríguez, who started working in Galicia in 2002. The vineyards are in the southwestern part of Valdeorras, near the village Santa Cruz and monastery of Las Ermitas, just along the border of Ribeira Sacra. All of Ladeiras do Xil's vineyards are certified organic, bush-trained and grown on shallow, acidic and coarse-textured decomposed granite soils. The vines are co-planted along the steep terraces and consist exclusively of indigenous varietals: Merenzao, Sousón, Mencía, Godello, Treixadura, Godello Tinto, Brancellao, Doña Blanca, Garnacha, and Palomino. Since 2014, Jorge Saa has led the project, where he and his team work tirelessly on restoring the centuries-old terraces and replanting the indigenous varieties as they were in the past. All grapes are hand-harvested and only indigenous yeasts are used for fermentation. Minimal intervention in the winery and low sulfur at bottling is evident in the wines’ haunting elegance. Gaba do Xil are the estate-grown red and white village, handmade Galician wines of Ladeiras do Xil, offering incredible value for everyday drinking.

The Gaba do Xil O Barriero is crafted from 100% organic Godello grapes offering a wonderful expression of Valdeorras’ Atlantic-influenced climate. Citrus-misted orchard fruits mingle with white flowers and wet stone on the nose. The textured palate displays flavors of Golden Delicious apple and ripe pears complemented by lively acidity and saline minerality. This blanco finishes long with vibrant freshness. Incredibly food-friendly, this wine sings with seafood… raw oysters, butter-braised razor clams or poached salmon would all pair wonderfully.