The Regulatory Council of the Rías Baixas Denomination of Origin has announced at a press conference held in Madrid on Wednesday, June 28, that the 2022 vintage has been qualified as “Very Good”. This pronouncement has been presented by the new president of the Council, Isidoro Serantes Serantes, during an annual meeting with the media in the Spanish capital.
The decision, which was made on Tuesday June 27, is the result of the rigorous quality policy that has been implemented in Rías Baixas for several years. This was stated by Ramón Huidobro, general secretary of the Regulatory Council, who stressed that the policy is based on a high level of demand and that both the assessments of the Panel of Tasters of the Regulatory Council and the physical-chemical analyzes of the samples that are marketed, have been taken into account in the report of the Control and Certification Body.
The verdict was based on a detailed technical report prepared by the aforementioned Body, whose objective is to evaluate the qualities and characteristics of the wines produced in the Rías Baixas Denomination of Origin.
According to the data, until May 31 of this year, 17,450,144 liters of wine were recorded within this denomination, representing 61.80% of the total harvest, which amounts to 28,238,349 liters.
The technical report prepared by the Control and Certification Body also includes data on the vegetative cycle of the 2022 harvest, and the compared results of the sensory and physicochemical analysis of 817 samples belonging to 139 wineries.
According to this report, the 2022 vintage is distinguished by the medium-high intensity of its aromas, with the presence of fruit, especially pip fruit, a well-integrated acidity, balanced and with a medium structure.
In the organoleptic aspect, the wines of the 2022 vintage present a visual phase with pale yellow and green tones, which tend to be more intense with maturity. In the olfactory phase, the wines are distinguished by their medium-high intensity, with complex aromas of fruit, flowers and subtle green aromas, with pome fruit and more mature notes predominating. Finally, in the taste phase, the well-integrated medium acidity stands out, and a medium structure, but long, coming from a warmer vintage, with complex fruity aromas in retronasal.
Regarding the vegetative cycle, the report details that it was characterized by a warm and dry winter, with medium-high bud break and fertility in March. A spring that was also warm and dry led to optimal flowering, with minimal losses. After a dry and hot summer with high temperatures in July and August, the harvest began marked by rain, but by mid-September it returned to normal in the different sub-zones of the Denomination of Origin. 40,904,676 kg of grapes were collected, describing the harvest as “quiet”.
The Regulatory Council of the Rías Baixas Denomination of Origin organized this Thursday, June 29, a Tasting Tasting of the 2022 Vintage in the Royal Room of the Mandarín Oriental Ritz Hotel in Madrid. In this event, 79 wine brands will participate, belonging to 44 wineries.
