Who: Diego Collarte and family What: Ribeiro both in and out of Appellation Where: Ribadavia When: Since 2005 Cume do Avia is one of the finest wines we’ve tasted from Galicia and a salute to the terroir: the wines are made from many indigenous varieties, grown on steep hillsides on geologically complex soils based on … Continue reading Cume do Avia
Appellation: none Cuvée: A Senda Vermelha Colour: Red Grapes: Caiño and Mencia in varying proportions according to the harvest About: a new wine for 2020, and a red! From local grape Caiño and Mencia grown in the Rias Baixas, giving just 10 to 11%, it’s lithe, and super refreshing, but with typical Nanclares complexity, nuance … Continue reading Nanclares y Prieto A Senda Vermelha
Appellation: Vino de España. Cuvée: O Pando. Colour: White. Grapes: Godello. About: The name comes from the first vineyard Nacho worked. The grapes now come from other vineyards as well but all in similar location, all on clay, rather than the more common granite. Same grapes as the Orange version. Vines Location: from several parcels … Continue reading La Perdida O Pando
Appellation: Vino de España. Cuvée: Meu. Colour: red. Grapes: Garnacha Tintorera, Mencia, Mouraton 70%, Dona Branca, Godello, Palomino 30% About: Meu means “mine” in Galician after how Nacho feels about the wine, a wine for his friends who are like brothers and sisters. New wine in 2019, from a chalk hillside. Same grapes as Nacho’s … Continue reading La Perdida Meu
As you know we visited Galicia recently. In the Rias Baixas, we went to visit Alberto Nanclares, one of only a handful of producers farming organically in this region. His Albariño’s possessed a stunning clarity, and gentle sea-salty pure fruit, that was far from the shrill acidity and sweet fruit of the big names. Alberto, … Continue reading Why Galicia is worth a visit
Appellation: Viño Branco. Cuvée: Paraje Mina. Colour: White. Grapes: Albariño. About: a more recent first made in 2012 from the vineyard of the same name, 1,200 to 2,400 bottles made, depending on the year’s yield, part in stainless steel part in old oak. It’s declassified from D.O. Rías Baixas because it’s so different. Vines Location: … Continue reading Nanclares Paraje Mina
Appellation: Salnes; Rías Baixas. Cuvée: Soverribas. Colour: White. Grapes: Albariño. About: this Cuvée is Alberto first single vineyard wine, matured in old French oak on its lees for one year, first made in 1997. It’s a complex, saline, totally alternative and gorgeous expression of Albariño from the Rías Baixas. Vines Location: from one plot called … Continue reading Nanclares Soverribas
Appellation: Salnes; Rías Baixas. Cuvée: Nanclares. Colour: White. Grapes: Albariño. About: this Cuvée was the first to be produced by Alberto, in 1997, from all his plots at the time, including the “back garden”, and remains the same blend today. It’s around 40% made and aged in old French oak 500L barrels. Vines Location: from … Continue reading Nanclares Nanclares
Appellation: Salnes; Rías Baixas. Cuvée: Dandelión. Colour: White. Grapes: Albariño. About: this Cuvée is from the first grapes to be harvested, from fruit grown by partners under supervision of Alberto, from inland vineyards and shows a fatter, rounder, less saline character than the other entry level wine Tempus Vivendi. First made in 2011. Vines Location: … Continue reading Nanclares Dandelión
Appellation: Salnes; Rías Baixas. Cuvée: Tempus Vivendi. Colour: White. Grapes: Albariño. About: this Cuvée is from the second grapes to be harvested, from fruit grown by partners under supervision of Alberto, near the sea, and shows a more refreshing saline, spicy fruit character than the other entry level wine Dandelión. First made in 2003. Vines … Continue reading Nanclares Tempus Vivendi
Who: Alberto Nanclares and Silvia Prieto. What: D.O. Rias Baixas. Where: Cambados, Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain. When: Since 1997. The Story Alberto Nanclares is an economist by training and profession whose love of sailing brought him to the Galician coast many years ago. He and his wife invested in a small second home near their boat … Continue reading Nanclares y Prieto
Almost everything we know about Bernardo Estevez’s wines for now has been posted here! Bernardo Estevez is based in the Ribeiro and is revered by the handful of Galician natural winemakers we know for his work in the vineyard while being totally modest about his wines. He makes far too few bottles but they’re as … Continue reading Bernardo Estevez information posted!
Who: Bernardo Estévez. What: D.O. Ribeiro. Where: Arnoia, Ribadavia, Galicia, Spain. When: Since 2009. The Story “I only bottle my work in the vineyard” says Bernardo Estévez. Few vigneron express outwardly as little interest in what happens in the cellar as Bernardo Estévez although it’s clear that he likes very much what he finds in … Continue reading Bernardo Estévez
The most important decision we make is whether we believe we live in a friendly or hostile universe. – Albert Einstein We thought of this wisdom when we toured Galicia recently. There we tasted wines made from two dozen grape varieties and recalled the infamous rant by Robert Parker a few years ago and detailed … Continue reading In praise of diversity
Almost everything we know about La Perdida’s wines for now has been posted here! La Perdida is run by Nacho Gonzalez who produces fewer than 15,000 bottles a year from 28 tiny parcels of vines in inland Galicia. A maverick, he’s fiercely organic, and works without any additives in the cellar. The wines are humorous and generous, and … Continue reading La Perdida information posted!
Who: Nacho Gonzalez. What: Vino. Where: Larouco, Valdeorras, Galicia, Spain. When: Since 2013. The Story La Perdida of course means “the lost” and refers to the fact that the vineyards are all tiny parcels, and quite hidden, in more ways than one; they’re off the beaten track and sometimes the other vegetation, grasses and other … Continue reading La Perdida
