Envinate, Lousas Vinas De Aldea, 2021, 750 ml

COUNTRY: Spain

REGION: Ribeira Sacra

VARIETIES: Mencía, Merenzao, Brancellao, Sousón, Garnacha Tintorera, Mouratón

VINTAGE: 2021

FARMING: Organic

TERROIR: Lousa is the name for the slate soil that predominates in the Ribeira do Sil and Amandi subzones of the Ribeira Sacra region. The slate serves a great purpose, heating up during the daytime sun to help the grapes ripen, as well as imparting the minerality and intensely floral and spicy aromatics that are the trademarks of the Ribeira Sacra region’s wines.

WINEMAKING: The Mencía and other co-planted grapes were hand-harvested, fermented 1o0% whole cluster with wild yeasts in open top plastic tubs with 25-40 days maceration (except Souson, which sees only 7 days), then raised in used 300 and 400 liter French oak for 11 months with no racking. A touch of SO2 is added only at bottling, and the finished wine sees no fining or filtration.