Legado del Conde Albariño – 2023

Morgadio

In 1984 a farm named Morgadío in the Rías Baixas subdistrict of Condado do Tea near the aldea of Albeos was consolidated from multiple existing owners, and planting began. Vineyard area was gradually expanded to its current 148 acres. Within Rías Baixas there are three primary subdistricts: El Rosal and Val do Salnés on Galicia’s rainy Atlantic coast, and Condado do Tea inland on the north bank of the Miño River, a situation remarkably reminiscent of Germany’s Rheingau.

Condado’s gentle climate, southern exposure and soil of brilliantly reflective granite sand serve to maximize the Albariño’s concentration. Just in time for the 1988 harvest, Morgadío finished a state-of-the-art gravity-flow facility at the bottom of the vineyard amphitheater which includes pneumatic presses and isothermic stainless steel tanks. From the 1996 vintage, the Méndez family of Orense has increased investment in the bodega to maximize the quality of the grapes and wines.

The name Morgadio is a Portuguese term derived from morgado, a historical system of inherited family estates in Portugal and is a reference to the old manor house or family estate associated with a noble or longstanding family lineage. The use of the term signals the wine is tied to a historic estate rather than describing a grape variety or wine style. The word itself comes from the concept of majorat—a historic legal arrangement where a family’s land and wealth passed intact to a single heir (typically the eldest son) to prevent the estate from being divided.