Guímaro 2019 Tinto - 0,75L

"Pedro "Guímaro" thinks 2019 could be one of the finest vintages of recent times, with textbook conditions and a perfect cycle for the grape. The first wine from that year is the unoaked red 2019 Vino Tinto, which was bottled a few days before I tasted it. It's the usual blend of plots, soils and expositions that represent Ribeira Sacra, with a majority of Mencía and 15% other local grapes, and it fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts and matured in tank with the lees for four to eight months depending on the lot. Pouring the wine into the glass, I was surprised by the lighter color, a bright ruby, and when I looked at the label, I read 12.5% alcohol—lower than ever, I think. The percentage of grapes from Miño and the other grape varieties used (especially Garnacha Tintorera) give them more components to blend. I don't think lower alcohol or picking early is a recipe, but I believe that when you are ABLE to pick early but ripe and with lower alcohol through viticulture, the wines have a more focused expression of the places. And this young red has to be the finest I have ever tasted from Guímaro: The wine has an expressive nose of the grapes and the poor, stony soils and a vibrant palate, with very fine tannins, clean flavors and a superb finish. Gimme a "pulpo a la Gallega" (octopus Galician style!). Well done! They produce around 100,000 bottles of this wine, which represents the largest volume of their production."

Luis Gutiérrez
Mayo 2020