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 seven plots around the house and cellar in Castrelo, near the sea.
Size ha: 2.
Age: planted between 1975 and 1985.
Soils: granitic, sandy.
Exposition: one plot, Soverribas, faces north-east, the others south-west.
Altitude: 50m.
Training: pergola.
Farming: organic.
Average yield hl/ha: .
Climate: Atlantic, cold in winter, hot in summer, likelihood of fog and humid conditions all year.
Winemaking
The harvest is selected in the vineyard, moved to the winery in 15kg crates, and whole bunch pressed in a pneumatic press at very low pressure. The juice is left to settle naturally for 36 hours, then moved to small stainless steel tank and between two and six old French oak 500L barrels depending on the harvest. Fermented with natural yeasts, without use of any additives except a light dose of sulphites, which prevents the malo-lactic fermentation from taking place; Alberto wants the malic acid in the wine. The wine isn’t moved until the Summer when it’s bottled following with a cold tartaric stabilisation for the domestic market but not for export according to demand.
Vintage Notes 2017
Warm winter, early Spring, hot, dry summer but not too much hydric stress. Intense, rich wines.
Yield hl/ha: 20
Harvested: August 30
Bottles produced: 10,000
Date bottled: 2018-06
Alcohol %: 13.00
SO2 Total: 63
Vintage Notes 2018
A dry winter was followed by a cold, late, wet Spring. There was a normal flowering. Summer started cool, became hot, hastening the harvest. The wines turned out great.
Yield hl/ha: 20
Harvested: Sept 10 to Oct 6
Bottles produced: 10,000
Date bottled: 2019-06
Alcohol %: 12.90
SO2 Total: 73
Tasting: tasted from tank and barrel 2018-12, fantastic nose honey and green apple, floral, complex, superb texture, viscous and silky, energy, fluid, digestible, sappy, saline, long.