Forjas del Salnes

Rodrigo Mendez makes not just great Albarino but also much rarer Galician reds. As a separate project, Bodegas Rodrigo Mendes is the small project from Rodrigo Mendes where he makes more Albarino, under the name of Cies.

Rodrigo Mendez is one of Galicia’s cult producers. ‘Forjas del Salnes’ is named after his father’s ironwork forge. The winery has vines dating back to 1912, and local access to a number of old vineyards, including the 150-200 year old vines used to make O Genoveva. Rodrigo’s history in the area has been vital to the success as he was able to find and secure the use of ancient plantations, some of which were long-abandoned, and bring them back to life. 

Forjas del Salnes was born in a garage winery in 2005 their philosophy is to respect the authenticity of the region’s native varieties and wine making processes. To nurture small plots resulting in wines that reflect the rich terroir sites that they come from – turning back the clock to make wine in the way that it used to be made. 

Rodrigo makes Albarino in the old style, showing its true essence, letting it express its origin from the different terroir sites. The wines reflect the Atlantic climate. The whites are aromatic, and there’s salinity from the sea. They’re full of fruit, freshness, tension and electric feeling from the granitic soil. The winery works in an old school kind of way – native yeast fermentation, extended lees contact without bâtonnage and minimal sulphur. They practise sustainable organic production. They prefer to use old-oval-shaped demi-muids and oak foudres, which let in enough oxygen with very few problems with reduction while acting as an excellent vessel for natural stabilisation. 

Only a small number of wineries work with red varieties such as Caino, Espadiero and Loureiro Tinto, and most of them are in Salnes. Forjas del Salnes is the largest red wine producer in the area, the red varieties mature at least three weeks later than Albarino and it is particularly nerve-wracking for winemakers  to hang on tight till the right moment for harvest