La Perdida, O Pando 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. O Pando 2023 is 100% Godello, an old appellation varietal of Galicia. Grapes spend one week macerating on the skins before fermentation for 4 months in amphora and ageing in old oak barrels. An initial nose of lemon peel, sea spray and smoke transports you to the rocky cliffs of northwestern Spain, followed by hints of kiwi and marzipan. Incredibly vibrant yet elegant with notes of green almond, white peach, pear blossom, cherry pits and even Bakewell tart. O Pando 2023 would pair well with a fresh fennel and crab salad.