2023 Nanclares y Prieto Viño Tinto

Aromas of wild raspberry, tart red cherry, and crushed rose petals integrate with savory notes of white pepper, damp earth, and a hint of salinity. The palate is light-bodied and exceptionally bright, featuring a crunchy red fruit core and a lean, athletic texture. It displays a refreshing energy with fine, silky tannins and a racy acidity that leads to a clean, mouth-watering finish marked by a subtle herbal bitterness and mineral coolness.

Winemakers Alberto Nanclares and Silvia Prieto utilize a traditional Atlantic blend of Mencía, Garnacha Tintorera, and Caiño Tinto. In the cellar, the fruit is fermented with native yeasts in a combination of open-top oak vats and stainless steel, often including a portion of whole clusters to enhance the wine's aromatic lift and structural tension. The wine matures for approximately eight months in neutral French oak barrels. This low-intervention approach avoids fining or filtration, resulting in a pure, transparent expression of the vintage.

The fruit is grown in the Rías Baixas region of Galicia in Northwest Spain, primarily from small, ancestral plots in the Val do Salnés. While this area is world-famous for white Albariño, these red varieties are planted on cool, granite-rich soils that impart a distinct flinty character. The site is defined by its extreme maritime influence, with heavy rainfall and Atlantic breezes that keep the vineyards lush and temperate. This unique coastal terroir allows the red grapes to ripen slowly, producing a "Vino Tinto" defined by elegance and freshness rather than heavy extraction or high alcohol.