Description Fresh, saline and savoury with the wild, coastal character that defines this part of Galicia. Expect red fruit, briny minerality and a rustic edge that makes it genuinely compelling and unlike almost anything else you’ll find in a glass. A natural partner for grilled fish, shellfish, octopus or anything that comes out of the sea. Forjas del Salnés is the project of Rodrigo Mendez, son of Francisco Mendez, founder of the Rías Baixas DO and owner of the iconic Do Ferreiro bodega. Where his father defined the textbook commercial style of Albariño, Rodri has taken a very different path, focusing on terroir-driven single-site expressions and, crucially, the recovery of almost forgotten native red varieties. The Tintos del Mar series takes its name from the strong coastal identity of the zone, and this bottling is made from Espadeiro, a rare indigenous variety that Rodri and his collaborator Raúl Pérez, one of Spain’s most celebrated winemakers, are actively working to save from extinction. The vines were planted in 1962 in Cambados on sandy soils with rounded pebbles, and production is tiny, just a single barrel. Grape: Espadeiro. DO Rías Baixas. Vines planted 1962 on sandy soils with rounded pebbles, Cambados. Production: one barrel. 14% / 70cl