Castro Ventosa Valtuille La Cova de la Raposa 2021

The 2021 Valtuille La Cova de la Raposa comes from the lieu-dit that names the wine, where the soils are rich in sand, and which they have been vinifying separately since 2003. This south-facing vineyard is the first they harvest, as the orientation and the fact that the old vines only produce two to three clusters per vine make them ripen early. They used 40% full clusters for the native fermentation with 40 days of maceration. It matured in two 500-liter oak barrels for 12 months. It has moderate alcohol (12.43%) and ripeness with nice balance, a sleek mouthfeel and very fine tannins. This is a warm place that behaved quite well in the cooler 2021 vintage. The sandy soils are a little more compact, and this is tighter than the more-open 2020. 1,200 bottles were filled in March 2023.