El Palomar Albariño by Zárate is a white wine made exclusively from Albariño grapes within the Rías Baixas designation of origin. The grapes come from the El Palomar plot which covers 0.36 hectares in the Salnés Valley. The vineyard was planted around 1850 and is considered one of the oldest documented Albariño vineyards in the region. Its pre-phylloxera vines grow on their own roots without being grafted onto American rootstock. The soil is shallow, poor and granitic which forces the roots to penetrate deeply into cracks in the underlying rock. Low yields and the age of the vines contribute to the wine’s concentration and pronounced mineral character. The grapes are harvested by hand and fermentation takes place with naturally occurring yeasts in large previously used wooden vats. The wine then matures on its fine lees in the same vessels with the wood contributing mainly to its texture rather than producing pronounced oak aromas. El Palomar differs from most of Zárate’s other white wines which are generally fermented and matured in stainless steel tanks.