Community Tasting Note

forceberry wrote:

Wednesday, December 30, 2020 - 100% Brancellao. Fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts in tronconical oak vats and aged for 12 months in used, neutral French oak barrels. 12,5% alcohol.

Translucent, moderately evolved pomegranate color with a somewhat mahogany core and a thin, colorless rim. Ripe, sweet-toned and surprisingly mature yet attractive nose with aromas of wizened dark fruits, some rich syrupy tones, a little bit of strawberry jam, light black cherry tones, a hint of earth and a developed touch of meat stew. The wine is dry, somewhat tertiary and firm on the palate with a medium body and evolved flavors of blood, crunchy cranberries, some leathery funk, a little bit of wizened dark fruits, light earthy tones, a bitter hint of phenolic spice and a touch of bruised apple. The overall feel is quite structured with the high acidity and moderately grippy medium tannins. The finish is dry, lively and rather grippy with long, evolved flavors of crunchy cranberries, some bruised apple tones, a little bit of dried figs, light phenolic notes of peppery spice, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a touch of smoky earth.

A delightful and stylish but also quite obviously rather prematurely evolved Ribeira Sacra red - at least I wouldn't expect a wine only 5 years old to be this developed and oxidative in style. I don't know if our bottle was just showing premature oxidation or if the wine has actually evolved this fast. Nevertheless, it is a very enjoyable, developed red but at least this was drinking more like a wine that was 15-20 years old. Good stuff, despite its evolved overall quality. Nevertheless, I hope this was just an off bottle and the wine actually is much younger than this. Not that cheap at 27€, but delivers for the price.

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