Winery: | Casa Abril Selelctions |
Vintage: | 2017 |
Winemaker: | April Cullom & Oscar Fernandez |
Type of Wine: | White |
Bottles Produced: | 1200 Per Year |
Region: | DO Ribeiro |
Composition: | Treixadura, Torrontes, Godello, Albariño, Loureira Per Year |
MSRP: | $24 |
ExWorks (at Bodega): | 5.00 - 8.50 euros |
Searcher ID/Link: | Open (in New Window) |
Wine: Treixadura, Torrontés, Godello, Albariño, Loureira; three months sur-lie, no oak.
Place: winery is located in the D.O. Ribeiro (Galicia’s oldest D.O.), just 50 miles inland from the North-West coast of Spain with 40 parcels of vines scattered amongst the Galician mountains; vines benefit from a unique Atlantic-Mediterranean micro-climate that allows grapes to ripen properly and yet retain acidity; the Miño river helps to moderate summer temperatures which can reach 100 F.
People: the vineyards have been in the Fernandez family for three generations since 1920 and April Cullom collaborates with the family winemaker Oscar to express the “soul” of the Galician vines.
Viticulture: sustainable farming, 10 hectares of native Galician grapevines (ranging in age from 10 to 100 years old) are planted in a combination of soils, predominately granite with some sandy-loam, slate and pudding stones, at 900 feet on average; younger vines trained on espalier Guyot, the older vines in their original bush-vine form; orientation of vines depends on micro-climate; minimal treatment to respect the environment.
Winemaking: 48 hours cold maceration followed by fermentation in stainless-steel tanks and 3 months sur-lie, no oak. April Cullom and family enologist Oscar Fernandez created a special cuvée of native Galician varietals to achieve a high-acid, aromatic white wine, expressive of the local Galician terroir.
Artwork was curated by April Cullom and created by her uncle Sergio Gonzalez Tornero, whose family originated in Nájera (Logroño, Spain). His “alma” met the “alma” of Adrienne Cullom in Paris while studying art and the rest is history. “Mar y Montaña” reflects an expressive, acid-driven white wine made from native Galician grapes grown in the mountains near the sea.
Pale yellow-gold. Tangerine, pear, white peach and a touch of honeysuckle on the perfumed nose. Silky and energetic on the palate, offering nicely concentrated citrus and orchard fruit flavors that are underscored by a vein of chalky minerality. Finishes sappy floral and long, with a resonating orange zest quality and bright minerality.
Vineyard Size: | 10 hectares |
Soil Composition: | Granitic, sandy-loam, slate and pudding stones |
Training Method: | Older vines "goblet" and younger trellis Guyot |
Elevation: | Pale yellow-gold. Tangerine, pear, white peach and a touch of honeysuckle on the perfumed nose. Silky and energetic on the palate, offering nicely concentrated citrus and orchard fruit flavors that are underscored by a vein of chalky minerality. Finishes sappy floral and long, with a resonating orange zest quality and bright minerality. |
Fermentation: | Alcholic fermentation in stainless-steel tanks |
Maceration Technique:: | 48 hours cold maceration |
Length of Maceration: | 48 hours |
Ageing (sur Lie): | 3 months sur lie |
Alcohol: | 12.5% |
pH Level: | 3.65 |
Residual Sugar: | 2.3 g/l |
Acidity : | 5.02 g/l |
After her third year in college studying abroad at the University of Madrid, Atlanta-born April Cullom traded in the southern US for southern Spain, a move that led to a career in wine. April has cultivated relationships with rising-star wine makers over the past 15 years while promoting and educating trade, press and consumers about Spanish wines as a certified Spanish wine expert and educator. April’s experience, “love affair” with Spain for the past 30 years combined with her passion for the country’s wine and food was the inspiration to create a selection of wines from various parts of Spain under the Casa Abril and Alma de Vino labels – a true labor of love.
Each wine strives to reflect the “terroir-trilogy” of the expression of the varietals based on the climate, the soil and the topography of the place where grapes are grown. April and the family enologists from each winery have created the wines together, striving to reflect the local nuances of the vineyard while respecting Mother Nature.
April's credentials include WSET Advance with Honors, Certified Spanish Wine Expert.