Viña Aurita Tinto 2020

Origin: Lugo, Ribeira do Eivedo, plot «A Burata dá Salamanca», outside the D.O.

Grapes: mainly Mencía, with a little Sousón

Vintage: 2020

Production: 470 bottles

Vineyards: old vines trained in double Royat cordon, widely spaced

Soils: granite and slate, steep slopes above the Sil canyon

Climate: Atlantic, mild

Vinification: hand-picked late August to early September, fully destemmed, spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts, no enzymes or nutrients, never above 25 °C; then 2 to 3 days on the skins, drawn off without pressing, press wine is not used; clarified only by settling and racking, 2 to 3 times a year, without pumps

Ageing: at least 10 months in stainless steel, no wood

Bottling: July to November 2021

There are 470 bottles of 2020, almost as many as of the year before. Carlos destems fully, lets it ferment spontaneously and uses no wood, so the fruit comes first: red berries with floral and spicy notes, fresh acidity and silky tannins on the palate.

The wine now has five years in bottle behind it. Drink it with game, grilled meat or aged cheese, slightly cool from the cellar rather than at warm room temperature.