2020 Fedellos Viños do Macizo Ourensan, Peixe da Estrada, Viño Tinto, Red Wine, Galicia, Spain.
The pretty and medium bodied Peixe da Estrada, made from an unique Galician blend of Mencía, Mouranton, Grao Negro, Garnacha Tintorera, Bastardo, Godello, Doña Blanca, Palomino and Colgadeira, with the Mencia taking the lead and delivering a bright array of red fruits, spice, mineral tones, raw earthiness and floral notes. This vibrant lighter framed red has radiant palate of dark berry, currant, plum, pomegranate and cherry fruits, along with hints of tangy herbs, anise, wilted roses, a touch of cedar and zesty blood orange. Winemakers Curro Barreño and Jesús Olivares of Fedellos use whole cluster and indigenous yeast, employing a co-fermentation in open-topped plastic and stainless steel tanks. With this wine seeing daily hand pigeage, and a long, gentle maceration, after which, the wine is aged 12 months in neutral French oak barrels, mostly 500L demi-muids as well as a huge 3000L foudre. The Fedellos Viños do Macizo Ourensan team says this Peixe da Estrada Viño Tinto is their village wine, coming from a selection of mature 60 to 80 year old vineyards in Fornelos de Filloás, Grixoa, and Buxán, which are set on a mix of sand, granite and schist soils, which adds to the complexity and the distinctive nature of their wine here. To relate this one for those unfamiliar with Galician red wines, led by Mencia, you can see Pinot or Gamay like qualities here and a nice low 12.5% natural alcohol, making for a fresh and food friendly character.
The Fedellos Viños do Macizo Ourensan label, as mentioned here, was founded in 2011 by Luis Taboada, and based in his family home, and is headed up by winemakers Curro Barreño and Jesús Olivares, who are focused on crafting wines from the local terroir in Galicia and local varietals, like Mencia and Godello. The winery is influenced by the Ribeira Sacra, which is a very historic wine growing area in Spain’s green Galicia region just northeast of the Portuguese border near the Mina and Sil Rivers that was prized by the Romans who cherished the wines from this steep and remote region. This area has seen a huge amount of excitement in recent years with wines of outstanding quality making quite a slash with wine critics and wine lovers, these new generation of Ribeira Sacra wines are led by the likes of Pedro Rodriguez of Guimaro, Laura Lorenzo of Daterra Viticultores, Envinate and Fedellos. This wine, it should be noted is sourced from high elevation, at close to 700 meters up, parcels are cool Atlantic climate influenced, all located just south of Ribeira Sacra and Valdeorras, so can only be labelled as a Viño de España. The break down of grapes in the Peixe da Estrada includes about a third Mencía, while another third is made up of Mourantón, Grao Negro and Garnacha Tintorera (Alicante Bouschet), with the remainder being, as the winery notes, Bastardo (Trousseau), Godello, Doña Blanca, Palomino and Colgadeira. I have loved everything I’ve tried from the Fedellos team and I highly recommend these authentic offerings, especially their Loma dos Ares and this Peixe da Estrada.
($32 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive