Algueira Ribeira Sacra Mencia 2021

Algueira Ribeira Sacra Mencia is the estate's early-release red, made in stainless steel from its younger vines on the slate slopes above the Sil.

Ribeira Sacra is Galicia's inland red appellation, where terraces cling to the gorges of the Sil and Miño and every task is done by hand. Fernando González Riveiro's Algueira has led the region's revival since the 1980s, and this is the entry point to its range. The fruit comes from the estate's younger Mencía vines, rooted in the precipitous slate and schist that rises from the river. Where the premium releases are whole-bunch fermented and raised in oak, these grapes are destemmed, fermented with indigenous yeasts and given 15 to 20 days of maceration before being raised in stainless steel. Nothing is added to complicate the picture: the aim is a direct, low-alcohol introduction to what Mencía does on this rock, with the graphite edge that runs through the whole cellar.

Best drunk over the next three or four years, it works with charcuterie, roast chicken and grilled vegetables, and takes a light chill. Serve at 14-16°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.