Quinta de Couselo
Appellation: O Rosal, Rías Baixas
Winemaker: José Manuel Juste
Year Founded: 2013
Size: 9 hectares
Farming Practice: Sustainable
Quinta de Couselo is situated in the O Rosal Valley on the southern limit of the Rías Baixas appellation. The area benefits immensely from the Atlantic, with mild year-long temperatures, abundant rainfall, wind, and plenty of sunshine through the growing season. The two sites of the estate, “A Cheira” and “Sobral,” are positioned just a few miles from the ocean, among rolling hills of Miño river’s tributaries.
After 150 years of single-family ownership, in 2013, the estate’s heirs sold the 9-hectare property to native Galician and former president of the Galician Winemaker’s Assicaiton, José Manuel Martínez Juste and his partners. Juste manages the property from vine to bottle and is dedicated to preserving local traditions and maximizing the terroir expression of the estate’s two sites.
“A Cheira” surrounds the winery and his home to the two 250-year-old stone pine trees found on the “Royal” label. Two hectares of mostly to pergola-trained 30- to 40-year-old Albariño vines with co-planted natives, Loureira and Caiño Blanco, cover the site. The Carballas river, a tributary of the Miño river, borders the vineyard to the southwest. The soils there are composed of deep, acidic sedimentary-granite and are rich in organic matter.
The second site, “Sobral”, is located on a sun-drenched southwest-facing hilltop 50 meters above sea level. Seven hectares of trellis and pergola-trained vines cover the plot, three of which are planted to 15-year-old Albariño vines. Slate buckshots from the river promote heat retention and exceptional drainage.
In addition to the estate’s 9 hectares, Juste works closely with neighboring growers from which Couselo has purchased fruit for over 20 years. Quinta de Couselo has complete farming oversight of these vineyards, ensuring the preservation of the ecosystem. Neither herbicides nor fungicides are used and only small amounts of sulfur and copper are applied if and when necessary.
Wines:
Varietal/Blend: Albariño
Vineyard Area: From the southernmost, coastal sub-zone of Rías Baixas called O Rosal — vines are 15 to 30 years old
Soil: Sedimentary-granite with schist
Elevation: Up to 160 ft
Exposure: West-southwest
Vine Training Method: Pergola and trellis, no herbicides or fungicides and hand-harvested
Vinification: Fermented with native yeasts and aged entirely in stainless steel
Marketing Materials:
Varietal/Blend: Albariño, Loureiro and Caiño Blanco
Vineyard Area: From the estate's vines in the O Rosal valley — 20-30 years old
Soil: Sedimentary granite with deposits of schist and slate
Elevation: Up to 160 ft
Exposure: West-southwest
Vine Training Method: Pergola and trellis
Vinification: Fermented with native yeasts and aged entirely in stainless steel
Marketing Materials:
