Ladeiras do Xil, Mencía & Merenzao "Gaba do Xil Tinto" Valdeorras, Galicia, Spain 2019

70% Mencía, 30% Merenzao

Gaba do Xil is a wonderful expression of an Atlantic influenced red wine that is always fresh, expressive, and food-friendly.

Gaba do Xil is named for the hillsides of the Sil River, which is the lifeblood of the region. They are the estate-grown red and white village wines, an introduction to the limited production single cru wines of Ladeiras do Xil. Gaba do Xil offers the drinker an incredible value for handmade Galician wines for everyday drinking, which rival the wines of similar quality in Burgundy and Beaujolais.

The red wine is produced from certified organic mencía and merenzao grapes from estate vineyards. The primary vineyard lies inland at 400-500m in altitude, near the town of Larouco, which has an Atlantic influence due to the location in a valley that forms an outlet to the sea. The blend also contains grapes from estate vineyards in Santa Cruz and Las Ermitas. Wines are made with low intervention and minimal sulfur at bottling.

After a manual harvest and grape selection in the vineyard, the wine is fermented with native yeasts in stainless steel tanks. It is then aged, also in stainless steel, for twelve months before bottling.