Goyo Garcia - Graciano, Ribeira del Duero, Spain (2019)

TASTING NOTES

Finca Los Guijarrales is a single-vineyard red made with 100% Graciano grapes grown on river stones and red sands at high elevation facing north-northwest in the Ribera del Duero. 

Grapes are hand harvested, de-stemmed and fermented with indigenous yeasts in steel vats for 10-15 days and 3 months of skin maceration and then raised 12 months in old finely-grained Bordeaux barriques without racking.

Shy to showcase aromas at first, it gradually opens up to deep and dark fruit scents, hints of graphite and slate together with the spiciness of black pepper. The work of and oxygen bring forward crispy scents of raspberry and cherry on a bed of cream, refreshed with balsamic hints of pine. 

Fresh on the palate with soft and round tannins. Its well-balanced acidity provides tension in contrast to the ripeness of red fruit, delicate flowers and sparks of spices.

A long, persistent and complex wine that's still amazingly easy to drink. 

Tasting one of Goyo García Viadero's wines is like taking a delightful trip back in a winemaking time machine. Goyo is a descendant of one of the most well-respected winemaking families in the Ribera de Duero region, and the talented genes have definitely been passed on. 

With vines that are a minimum of 80 years old, Goyo farms three small plots of his  own in the Ribera de Duero, each at different altitudes and on different types of soil. Each vineyard is interplanted with both red and white grapes, which he later co-ferments using natural methods, as winemakers did in the older days of Ribera de Duero winemaking.

All of his wines are de-stemmed, fermented exclusively with wild yeast, and nothing is added during elevagé (including SO2). The wines are raised in old French barrels at an underground, century-old cueva located in Gumiel del Mercado.

This method has become somewhat of a trend for more contemporary winemakers. For Goyo, it has been his tried and true way of doing things since he began making wine back in the 80’s. He uses these traditional winemaking methods in order to express a flavour profile that reflects the overall vineyard rather than the individual grape variety.

Alcohol 12%