F. Algueira : Cornamus 2023

Characteristics and tasting advice for F. Algueira Cornamus 2023

Tasting

Appearance
The wine shows a golden color with bright highlights, reflecting the richness of the Godello grape and maturation in large oak casks.

Nose
The bouquet displays beautiful aromatic complexity combining freshness and minerality. Aromas reveal citrus and white fruit notes, enhanced by the distinctive mineral signature of the appellation’s granitic and quartz-rich soils.

Palate
On the palate, this wine charms with its remarkable balance between freshness and structure. The granite-driven minerality fully emerges, bringing a saline tension that carries a persistent, elegant finish.

Food and wine pairing

This white wine pairs perfectly with grilled fish, seafood, shellfish, and fresh goat cheeses. It also elevates traditional Galician cuisine.

Serving and aging potential

Cornamus 2023 is best enjoyed at 50–54°F (10–12°C). It can be appreciated now but will evolve harmoniously until around 2030.

A fresh, indulgent Spanish white signed by F. Algueira

The estate

Founded in 1979 by Fernando González in the village of Doade in Galicia, F. Algueira spans 30 hectares of vineyards planted on steep slopes overlooking the Sil River. The estate practices sustainable viticulture moving toward organic. A pioneer in the revival of native Galician grape varieties, F. Algueira showcases the exceptional minerality characteristic of Ribeira Sacra.

The vineyard

Cornamus is a Galician wine sourced from vineyards planted on terraces with extremely steep slopes. Situated between 200 and 600 meters in elevation with southeast and east exposures, they benefit from a continental climate with Atlantic influence. Granite, quartz, and gneiss soils impart the wine’s distinctive mineral signature so typical of Ribeira Sacra. Vines are trained as simple bush vines with no irrigation.

Winemaking and aging

Hand-harvested grapes are destemmed and then foot-trodden. Fermentation starts in stainless steel tanks and finishes in 1,000-liter large casks using exclusively native yeasts. The aging of this Ribeira Sacra wine continues for 15 months in 2,000-liter French large casks on the lees with bâtonnage, preserving elegance and terroir expression.

Grape variety

100% Godello, a native Galician white grape that F. Algueira has helped revive for 45 years, here expressing its full ability to showcase the minerality of granitic terroirs.