Rodrigo Méndez Cíes

An Albariño with memory. Atlantic, saline and deeply gastronomic, it recovers the style of the great Galician whites of the past — wines that found an ally in oak rather than letting it take centre stage.

Behind Cíes is Rodrigo Méndez, one of the key figures in today’s Val do Salnés. Coming from a family of grape growers in Meaño and linked to the Forjas do Salnés project, Méndez has devoted much of his career to recovering the historic identity of Albariño, moving away from overly aromatic interpretations in favour of deeper, more mineral and longer-lived wines.

Cíes is born from a mosaic of small plots in Meaño, planted with vines between 30 and 70 years old on granite and sandy soils, a short distance from the Atlantic. The harvest is carried out by hand, and the winemaking combines tradition with precision: around 80% of the must ferments in used barrels, while the remainder ferments in stainless-steel tanks. The wine then remains on its lees for eight months in the same vessels, gaining texture and complexity without losing the tension that defines Albariño.