Candea Tinto 2019

Candea Tinto is a fleshy Mencía-based red made by José Luis Mateo from mature Monterrei vineyards farmed by his friend and collaborator Juan José Vilela.

Monterrei is the most inland of Galicia's appellations, a valley on the Portuguese frontier where continental warmth ripens the local red varieties while altitude keeps the wines fresh. Mateo made his name at Quinta da Muradella with painstaking work in old parcels, and Candea is the more open, everyday side of that project, drawn from Vilela's mature vines rooted between 400 and 450 metres. Mencía leads the blend, joined by a coterie of local grapes including Garnacha Tintorera, Mouratón and Arauxa, the regional name for Tempranillo, all picked and vinified together in the traditional field-blend manner. Fermentation is wild, with roughly a third whole bunches left in the vat to lift aromatics and soften extraction, and maturation is carried out mostly in stainless steel so the fruit and the granite-and-slate character of the valley stay to the front. Nothing here is polished away by oak.

Made for drinking over the next three or four years. Serve it with charcuterie, grilled pork or tomato-braised dishes at 16°C, or a touch cooler in summer.

*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.