Envinate, Ribeira Sacra, Lousas Vina Aldea 2021 - 75cl

Ribeira Sacra is one of the most dramatic vineyard landscapes in Europe — terraces cut into near-vertical schist and granite slopes plunging down to the Río Sil in inland Galicia. Envínate work these plots by hand because machines simply can't, and Lousas Viña Aldea is their village-level red, sourced from small parcels around the Riberas do Sil and Amandi.

The grape is Mencía, with a splash of co-planted local varieties, and this is Mencía in its fresh, mountain-grown guise rather than anything jammy. Whole-cluster fermentation and ageing in used French oak give a wine that's medium-bodied and precise: crushed redcurrant and wild cherry, black pepper, dried thyme, violets and a wet-stone minerality that comes off the slate. There's a lovely sappy freshness running through it, silky tannins, and a finish that's savoury and cool.

Serve it with a slight chill and it's one of the most versatile reds you can pour. Delicious now, though it'll hold and deepen for four or five years if you're patient.

How to Serve

Serve lightly chilled at 14–15°C. A Burgundy glass suits its perfume. No decant required — it's expressive from the off.

Where to Drink It

Barrafina for Spanish small plates and a bit of buzz. Brat for the wood grill. Planque for a wine list that celebrates growers like this.

Food Pairings

Grilled lamb cutlets with rosemary, or a plate of grilled octopus done the Galician way with paprika and oil.