🇪🇸 Lagar de Besada Burbujas de Baladiña Brut Nature (NV)

Not Champagne. Still painfully classy. This is Albariño doing bubbles the hard way, with a Brut Nature attitude and zero interest in being “easy.”

Wine Description 

Burbujas de Baladiña Brut Nature is Lagar de Besada’s signature sparkling Albariño from D.O. Rías Baixas, made using traditional-method bottle fermentation because they felt like showing off a little. They were early movers for quality sparkling in the region, and they’ve been releasing this cuvée since 2006.

Behind the bottle are María Sineiro (Technical Director and General Manager) and David Ballesteros (Enólogo). María trained in oenology in Madrid and later completed an advanced viticulture and oenology master in France, and David comes from a winegrowing family and is known for championing Spain’s native varieties.

It’s Brut Nature, so the vibe is crisp, focused, and grown. If you like your bubbles with backbone, you’re home.

Winemaker Spotlight 

María Sineiro is the technical director at Lagar de Besada, and her path includes formal enology studies in Madrid plus an advanced viticulture and enology master in France before returning to work full-time at the family project. David Ballesteros is the house enólogo and a defender of indigenous grapes, with roots in a family of growers and winemakers. 

The Vibe 

Galicia energy in a tuxedo: Atlantic freshness, fine bubbles, and the kind of “I’m not here to entertain you” dryness that makes salty snacks taste expensive.

What it tastes like

Pale yellow with golden flickers, a fine, elegant bead, and notes described as candied lemon, dried fruits, and hints of honey. It’s balanced and persistent, more serious than fruity.

Pairing + When to drink it

Bring it out for oysters, shrimp, any salty fried situation, or a dinner where you want the table to shut up for a second and pay attention. It also crushes aperitivo hour when you want bubbles that feel like a flex, not a sugar rush.

Quick Specs 

• Producer: Lagar de Besada 

• Winemaker: María Sineiro (Directora Técnica) and David Ballesteros (Enólogo) 

• Region/Appellation: D.O. Rías Baixas (Galicia, Spain) 

• Grapes: Albariño (100%) 

• Vintage: NV 

• Winemaking/Aging: Second fermentation in bottle; aged on lees a minimum of 30 months 

• ABV: 12.5% 

• Bottle size: 750 ml 

Critic Reviews

• AkataVino WineXtreme Guide (regional guide): 92 points
  Reviewed wine: Burbujas de Baladiña Brut Nature (NV)
  Excerpt: Scored at 92, placing it among the guide’s top Rías Baixas sparkling selections. 

FAQs 

Q: When did Lagar de Besada first release Burbujas de Baladiña?
A: The winery says its first cuvée of Burbujas de Baladiña came out in 2006, after committing to traditional-method sparkling in Rías Baixas. That’s early behavior for the region, and yes, they knew it.

Q: Who is María Sineiro at Lagar de Besada, and why should I care?
A: María Sineiro is the Technical Director and General Manager, and her training includes enology studies in Madrid plus an advanced viticulture and enology master in France. She’s not guessing, she’s certified. 

Q: Why is this Brut Nature sparkling unusual for D.O. Rías Baixas?
A: Lagar de Besada presents itself as an early quality-sparkling producer in the area, and this wine is made via the Champenoise/traditional method rather than shortcut carbonation. It’s Albariño, but with a long-game mindset. 

Q: How long does Burbujas de Baladiña age on the lees?
A: It undergoes a second fermentation in bottle, then ages on lees for a minimum of 30 months (per the Rías Baixas producer listing). That’s where the texture and complexity start acting expensive. 

Q: Is Burbujas de Baladiña really 100% Albariño?
A: Yes, it’s presented as Albariño 100%, which is a big part of why it reads as Atlantic, saline-adjacent, and seriously fresh even as a Brut Nature. 

Q: Where do Lagar de Besada’s vineyards sit inside Rías Baixas?
A: Multiple sources place their vineyards across the Valle del Salnés, in the kind of small-parcel “minifundio” landscape that Galicia is famous for. Small plots, big personality.