Natural! Peza do Rei, Ribera Sacra
| 2010 |
Cesar Enrique Dieguez |
| red |
Spain |
75cl |
Grapes: Mencía (85% depending on vintage) the remainder Brancellao, Merenzao, Caiño Tinto, local varieties found in Northen Spain and Portugal.
Peza is Galician dialect for Pieza or Trozo, meaning “parcel”. This wine is named after a famed 5 ha parcel of prime vineyard which was considered one of the best vineyards in the time of Castilian kings (“Rei” is Galician for Rey meaning King)
The D.O. of Ribeira Sacra (or “sacred hillside”) is the most visually stunning of all Galicia’s four D.O.s. in North-West Spain. It is home to some of the most spectacular vineyards anywhere in the world, with slopes approaching 60% incline. Ribeira Sacra is divided into 5 sub-zones following the rivers Miño and Sil (a tributary of the Miño) towards the city of Ourense: This one is Ribeiras do Sil with some of the steepest vineyards of the region spilling down to the river Sil.
The estate comprises of 9.5 ha of their own vineyards and produce 70,000 bottles in total. This is a small, compact no-frills winery built into the hillside, the vineyards parcels are very small and viticulture is extremely difficult*. The soil is mainly slate and schist.
*Heroic viticulture: Ribeira Sacra is where the men (and women) are truly vital, because the cosecheros (those who tend and harvest the vineyards) must also be capable of what is known as viticultura heroica. It is one of only two areas in Spain (Catalunya’s Priorat is the other) that requires this "heroic viticulture". The region’s steeply tiered slate bancales , or terraces, have a great deal to do with why the wines of Ribeira Sacra can be so profoundly terroir-driven, intriguing, and delicious, and why this area has the potential to produce wines as great as those from anywhere in Spain.
Peza do Rei is fermented and aged in stainless steel and sees no oak at all. It is a light bodied, sappy, mineral red with crunchy red fruits (redcurrant/cranberry) and refreshing acidity. Try with local chorizo stew, cured meats, even the local pulpo a la gallega (octopus with paprika and olive oil) is a great match.
`Ribeira Sacra 2010, Peza do Rei, Adega Cachín César Enriquez Diéguez, 13%, - Regular readers will know that I love red wines from this part of northwestern Spain, and this was one of my favourite wines of the tasting; fresh juicy raspberry and cherry fruits, with a lovely minerality. I could drink this all night long. Stockists: The Corkscrew; Le Caveau` John Wilson, Irish Times bottle of the week 4th February 2012
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| €18.25 |
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