Adegas Avó Roxo, Meaño (Pontevedra) Bodeguero Artesano Antonio Gondar Moldes, Avó Roxo Albariño (with video)

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Adegas Avó Roxo, Meaño (Pontevedra) 
Bodeguero Artesano Antonio Gondar Moldes

Avó Roxo Albariño 2013 13.0% 12/750ML $27.99

"Adega Avó Roxo is currently run by Antonio Gondar Moldes, who took over the management of the family estate only in 2007. His grandfather, Serafin Gondar began production here in the 1930s and this was at one time one of the most famous wineries in the region, winning several awards as late as the 1970s. The family vineyard is one and a half hectares in size and planted entirely to Albariño and Antonio Gondar Moldes is dedicated to taking the quality here to the highest level, and Avó Roxo is one of the most recent inductees into the growers’ association in the region. Antonio is making superb wines, but at the time of my visit, he was talking about perhaps changing his natural corks over to plastic- which would be a disaster for the ageability of his wines- but, he had not yet decided to do so. Let us hope that he eschews the cheaper alternative of plastic corks and maintains his cellaring potential of his wines!  

 

Albariño grapes, Rías Biaxas.  Photo copyright by Gerry Dawes

2013 Albariño-Avó Roxo (Rías Biaxas)

The 2013 Albariño from Antonio Gondar is a really lovely example of the vintage, offering up a bright and vibrant bouquet of pink grapefruit, tangerine, gentle leesy undertones, stony minerality, salty soil nuances and a topnote of lime blossoms. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, crisp and complex, with a lovely core of fruit, fine transparency and a fairly open personality out of the blocks that will make it very user-friendly right from the start. The finish is long, zesty and shows off lovely focus and grip. 2014-2020+. 93." - - John Gilman, View From The Cellar, October 2014.  

Avó Roxo joined the Asociación de Bodegas Artesanas in 2010 and is one of the group’s newest members.  Avó Roxo is a traditional family winery and all their wine production comes from their own 3.5 hectares of vineyards are located in the heart of Val do Salnés, a privileged environment for the growing and harvesting of the Albariño grape.

Adegas Avò Roxo Albariño - Artisan Bodeguero Antonio Gondar
(with Paco Dovalo Singing)

The winery began producing wines in the 1930’s under the management of Serafín Gondar.  In 1975 Serafin passed the vineyards and winery to his son Antonio Gondar, who continued the wine’s development.  Avó Roxo won several awards in the 70’s, including 1st place at the XXII Albariño Wine Festival in Cambados in 1974. 

Antonio Gondar Moldes, Avo Roxo, Asociación de Bodegas Artesanas. 
All Photos by Gerry Dawes©2012.

The winery was named after the founder Serafín, whose nickname was Avó Roxo, Grandfather Purple (don’t ask) in Gallego.   
 
In 2007 his grandson Antonio Gondar Moldes took over ownership and management.  He renovated and re-energized the bodega and winemaking.   In 2007, the year he took over, Avó Roxo produced only 7,000 bottles, under 600 cases. 

Gondar, whose day job is doing electrical installations, says, "My dream is to live only from the winery and expand production to 12,000 bottles, doing all the vineyard work my grandfather used to do because our grapes give exceptional aromas and taste to our wines.”
 
Practically all the wines of Asociación de Bodegas Artesanas are only sold locally to individuals and a few restaurants.  Few of these marvelously original, high quality wines have ever been sold in Madrid or anywhere else in Spain, but now wines like Avó Roxo are on the lists of such American restaurants as the great New York (State) restaurants as James Beard Outstanding Chef Dan Barber’s Blue Hill at Stone Barns and at Crabtree’s Kittle House, which has one of the best wine cellars in the United States.