La Perdida, De Sangue de Vida 2023

Nacho Gonzalez, a trained biologist, began his journey into winemaking after inheriting his grandmother’s 70-year-old vines in Galicia, Spain. In an effort to preserve more of these old, regional varietals and winemaking practices, he has acquired around 32 parcels in the Larouco area. These are found at higher altitudes on a mosaic of granite and clay soils, climatically highly influenced by the Atlantic. Each step of the winemaking process works harmoniously with the environment, from promoting the soil microbiome in the vineyard, to adding zero preservatives at bottling. Colloquially-speaking, La Pérdida means ‘the lost one’. Inspired by the estate’s volunteer pickers who claimed they couldn’t see the bush vines hidden among the long grasses - they were lost. De Sangue de Vida 2023 is a field blend of Palomino, Mencía, Garnacha Tintorera, Godello, Alicante Bouschet and Doña Blanca from older plots in Valdeorras that Nacho is reviving. Grapes are destemmed then fermented for five days in wooden vats before ageing in stainless steel. A fun, energetic nose reminiscent of vanilla cola, cherryade and strawberry laces. The flavour profile is more serious with ripe red berries, Parma Violets, new leather and strawberry jam wrapped in velvet-soft tannins and a little carbonic maceration. De Sangue de Vida 2023 would pair well with smoked maitake mushrooms and dashi.