Goliardo Espadeiro 2013

"The pale red 2013 Goliardo Espadeiro is produced with vines planted in 1962, fermented in open top vats and matured in well-seasoned barrels for one year before bottling. It was fascinating to taste the reds together as I could really see how different the grapes are. Espadeiro is always the lightest, somewhere between Loureiro and Caíño, with less elegance than Caíño, more accessible, straightforward, becoming earthy with time. There is a mixture of red berries and tea leaves, spices, and as all the reds, balsamic notes. The palate is light to medium-bodied, with fine tannins and some rusticity that gives it character. These red varieties are quite scarce and only 600 bottles were produced in 2013."