A WINE TOURISM PROJECT THAT REFLECTS THE COMMITMENT OF THE SIMÓN-BARALLOBRE FAMILY TO GALICI

The history of Ximonde has always been linked to the production of Albariño wine. So much so that it is impossible to understand the Baroque pazo or manor house that has survived to the present day, without the wealth that this unique wine has brought to this magnificent stately home. We know that in the 16th century wine was already an essential part of life in the pazo. The centuries-old vines that still grow in the vineyard and the ancient wine press bear witness to the fact that the lands of the Counts of Ximonde have always produced the finest Albariño wines.

Today Ximonde belongs to the Simón-Barallobre family, determined to restore these historic lands on the banks of the River Ulla to their former glory.

The efforts of the second generation of our family are centred on the recovery of the vineyards, the production of Albariño wine, the restoration of the pazo and the protection of its cultural heritage. Pazo de Ximonde is today home to Bodega Barallobre, birthplace of two Albariño wines, Barallobre and Antonio El Cruel.

They are the first steps along a new path recovery for a noble legacy that has now been retrieved. An estate where the vines are replanted every year, and a manor house where the staircases, balustrades, and plots for growing Albariño grapes have all been restored. The manor’s garden will soon be blooming just as it did in its heyday.

A path embarked on with determination in order to turn Ximonde into a cultural attraction whose historical and environmental heritage are the cornerstone of the passion we feel for our land.

A LAND WHERE TIME STANDS STILL.

The origins of our wine are embedded in the granite eroded by damp Atlantic climate, in hard work from sunset to sundown, and in the rains that fall on a south-facing slope that gently descends towards the River Ulla. A valley with just the right amount of sunshine, with mild temperatures and generous rains that help to ripen the Albariño grapes to the full. A set of climatic and geological circumstances that give rise to a subzone with more character than any other in the Rías Baixas D.O.

In Ximonde, the sun marks the beginning and the end of the working day: springtime brings the vines to life whilst the warm summer sunshine and regular rainfall take care of what really matters.

Meanwhile, the intervention of the winegrower is minimal: the vines are watered by the sky, they are nourished by organic fertilizer and all attempts are made to ensure that only traditional methods are used in their care. A ritual that is repeated season after season, year after year, century after century, as shown by the centuries-old vines that still grow in our vineyards.
Just 10 minutes from the World Heritage City of Santiago de Compostela, a World Heritage Site, our outlook on life, inextricably linked to wine, tradition, and the Way of St. James, is lost in the mists of time.

IN TUNE WITH THE RHYTHMS OF THE EARTH.

In the vineyard, the ritual begins with the pruning of the plants during the winter dormancy. The vines are then bled, leaving only the finest bunches to ripen. At harvest time, the pain-stakingly selected clusters are carried along the short path that has always linked the vineyard and the winery, in boxes weighing no more than 15 kilos.

The fruit enters the winery cellar, where it is destemmed and cold macerated before being pressed. Only the must in bloom is extracted, before it is left to rest for two days. After the gentle, silent decanting process, the sediment is separated so that the must can ferment cleanly and spontaneously, thanks to the action of the native yeasts from the Pazo de Ximonde estate.

After fermentation, the wine is racked with its fine lees for six months, after which it is cold stabilized and bottled. A working method and know-how that results in a signature Albariño wine that evolves in the bottle. A noble Albariño ready to be discerned by the most demanding palates. Such is the essence of Ximonde.
At Ximonde, only grapes picked on the estate are turned into wine*. The result is a Vino de Pago, painstakingly and expertly cared for at every stage of the production process.

In short, the aim is to use nature to create the most natural product possible whilst remaining true to the unmistakeable spirit of Ximonde. This is the commitment that the Simón-Barallobre family has made to Galicia.