Rias Baixas,
Galicia,
SPAIN
Nanclares y Prieto is a small project developed by two friends in the small village of Cambados, on the coast of Galicia. Alberto Nanclares and his wife fell in love with Rias Baixas during a sailing trip along the Atlantic coast of Spain. They were charmed by the small coastal villages, lush green landscape, and by the wines. Recently married and footloose and fancy-free, they decided to sell their sailboat and to purchase a home with vines in Cambados. The vineyard of Paraje Mina, one of the domaine’s emblematic cuvées, is located in the backyard of Alberto’s home.
During the initial years, Alberto worked part-time in the vines and continued to pursue his career as an economist. Dedicated to organic farming and overwhelmed by the challenging climate of Rias Baixas, Alberto partnered with Silvia Prieto in order to take the domaine to the next level. Nanclares and Silvia Prieto work 5 hectares of vines (predominantly Albarino), divided into 12 individual parcels, and planted in pergola on granitic soils. In a region that is plagued by humid conditions, it is rare to find winemakers working naturally in the vineyard and in the cellar. While Alberto and Silvia do use homeopathic doses of sulfur, specifically for blocking malolactic fermentation in order to maintain fresh acidity and angular style, their success comes from the honest work in the vines. They compost with local seaweed and focus on small yields, coaxing complexity and depth from the traditionally productive variety. The wines are pure Atlantic expressions driven by mineral, sea salt, and citrus fruit. They represent some of the most unique and precise wines of Galicia.