Description
Granbazán Albariño Etiqueta Ámbar — Rías Baixas, Galicia 2024
Granbazán is one of the founding estates of modern Rías Baixas, pioneering the region’s reputation for world-class Albariño since the late 1980s. The Etiqueta Ámbar — the Amber Label — is their most celebrated wine, famously served by the glass at El Bulli for many years and the wine that put Granbazán on the international map in the 1990s. Sourced from a blend of estate fruit and grapes from long-established family growers in the Salnés Valley, it receives more active bâtonnage and extended lees aging than most Albariños, adding a richness and textural depth that sets it apart from the category. Winemaker Diego Ríos, who trained in the Mosel Valley working with Riesling, brings a precision and mineral focus that is unmistakably his own.
The nose is classic and inviting: ripe peach, citrus, and white blossom with a signature salty, briny minerality that speaks directly to the Atlantic coast. On the palate, it is medium-bodied and sappy with beautiful lees-derived texture, layered fruit, and a long, tapering finish of saline freshness. A wine with genuine aging potential — and the structure to prove it.
Jeb Dunnuck 93 Points — “The most famous of this estate’s wines, served by the glass at El Bulli for many years. It has richness and length in the form of medium-bodied peach and salty brine and should do well in the bottle another 5-7 years.” (Vintage 2024).
Tim Atkin 93 Points — “A classic, salty, lip-smacking Val do Salnés Albariño. Sappy, layered and refreshing, it has some texture from lees-ageing and a tapering finish. 2025–29.” (Vintage 2024).
- Producer: Granbazán, Salnés Valley, Rías Baixas, Galicia, Spain
- Vintage: 2024
- Appellation: Rías Baixas DO (Val do Salnés)
- Varietal: 100% Albariño
- Sourcing: Estate fruit + long-established family growers, Cambados & Meaño
- Vinification: De-stemmed, cold maceration, free-run juice only; fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel; 8 months on lees with active bâtonnage
- Size: 750ml
- Tasting Notes: Ripe peach, citrus, white blossom, salty brine, lees richness, long saline finish
- Cellar Potential: Drink now through 2031
- Best Paired With: Oysters, grilled turbot, seafood rice, roasted artichokes, goat cheese, ceviche
- Serve: Well chilled, 45–50°F
93 points from both Jeb Dunnuck and Tim Atkin — Granbazán Ámbar is the Albariño that made Rías Baixas famous, and it has never been better.
