Zárate El Palomar 2018

If there is one Albariño that is different from the rest in the Zárate portfolio, it has to be El Palomar, as it's the only one fermented and matured in French oak vat. The 2,200-liter vat is now eight years old and is well seasoned and quite neutral, but the profile of the wine and even the texture is different. The 2018 El Palomar is still in its youth (the first three years), marked by the full malolactic, with a faint lactic hint that makes it quite elegant and serious, a more poised style than the livelier Balado. It's an expressive vintage, more expressive than the 2017 was at this age; it's really balanced and fresh, very classical, and it has all the ingredients to develop nicely in bottle. This is an Albariño from Salnés unlike the ones from before. 2,900 bottles were filled in July 2019.