Algueira Finca Cortezada 2021

Algueira Finca Cortezada is a co-fermented white from a terraced amphitheatre that had to be cleared out of mountain forest before it could be farmed again.

The Finca Cortezada vineyard was carved into a dizzyingly steep amphitheatre well over a century ago and then abandoned. When Fernando González Riveiro found the plot he spent years clearing the land and rebuilding the ancient terraces by hand. It lies in the Ribeira do Sil subregion of Ribeira Sacra, where the walled terraces stand two to three metres high and run 200 metres long, planted to Albariño, Godello and Treixadura in soils rich in gneiss, quartz and slate. Every task here is manual. The 2021 vintage was cool and late under Atlantic influence, and the blend is 40 per cent Godello, 40 per cent Albariño and 20 per cent Treixadura. The three varieties are co-fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged six months in stainless steel, a deliberately neutral raising that keeps the site's citrus and salinity intact.

Best given an energetic decant now, or cellared five years for added weight, it goes with roast pork, grilled prawns and salt cod. Serve at 10-12°C.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.