Although he self-identifies as an Italy-firster, SommSelect Editorial Director David Lynch says the most exciting wines he’s had recently come from Galicia in Spain.
We here at SommSelect have been trying to make the red wines of Galicia happen, with mixed results: maybe this wine—one of the best deals I’ve ever seen—will be the one to expose the Mencía grape, and the spectacular Ribeira Sacra, to a broader audience. Mind you, I’m already sold, and have feasted happily on the many Galician reds we’ve offered here; in my opinion this is one of the most exciting and dynamic wine regions in the world right now, as exemplified by new-generation wine talents like Rúben Moure of Finca Cuarta. Working with vineyards he inherited from his grandfather, Moure is part of what can only be called a revolution: As we’ve noted before, the Ribeira Sacra (the “sacred shore,” or shores, of the Miño and Sil river gorges) had been mostly abandoned despite a viticultural history dating back to Roman times. Why abandoned, you ask? Because vineyards in Ribeira Sacra are so harrowingly steep (some sites are accessible only by boat) that only the hardiest souls stuck around to farm them. But that is changing, and rapidly, because ambitious winemakers know an under-valued terroir when they see one. Ribeira Sacra is a source of increasingly serious wines—wines that compete with the likes of great cru Beaujolais and, in some cases, Côte-Rôtie. Granite soils and a cool climate infuse these Mencía-based reds with amazing freshness and an unmistakable mineral imprint. This wine offers genuine old-vine depth and a radiant energy that is rarely (if ever) found at this price point—it is first-rate ‘daily drinker’ material and I urge you to stock up!
Blessed with a choice assortment of small vineyard parcels, Moure founded his winery, Prior de Pantón, in 2008. The name (and some of the branding imagery) is an homage to the many monasteries (a.k.a. priories) that dotted the landscape and kept Ribeira Sacra’s extremely labor-intensive wine culture alive during the Middle Ages. “Finca Cuarta” is the name of a prized vineyard site, where 50+-year-old Mencía vines are rooted in the typical Ribeira Sacra mix of alluvial gravel over granite. Moure employs a relatively brief maceration on the skins and ferments at cool temperatures to maintain freshness in the wine, which is aged for just 5 months in mostly used barrels (225-liter barriques of French, American, and Russian origin).
Comprised of 100% Mencía, the 2015 Finca Cuarta is another example of the generosity of that vintage all across Europe: In the glass, it displays a nearly opaque ruby core moving to magenta and pink at the rim, with a ripe and expressive nose of blackberry, mulberry, pomegranate, red and black currant, licorice, tobacco, violets, and crushed black rocks. It is quite broad and dark-toned but has very mild tannins and bright, tangy freshness—there’s real depth and length but also a kind of weightlessness that makes it amazingly refreshing. It’s one of those reds that disappears quickly once opened, and at my house I will be chilling multiple bottles alongside the beers at my next barbecue. Although it will continue to drink well over the next 3-5 years, I wouldn’t wait: pull the cork and decant it for about 15 minutes before serving in Burgundy stems at 55-60 degrees (the cooler temp will dampen the acidity and accentuate the bright, ripe fruit). It’s a wine with myriad food applications—bright, fresh reds like this go with just about anything—but some baby back ribs off the grill feel like a really great way to go to me. No pretense or extended cellar aging with this one: just pure pleasure. Enjoy! — David Lynch
