Descendientes de J. Palacios La Faraona 2023

La Faraona is the most singular plot in Corullón, in Bierzo, in the far north-west of Castile and León. This Mencía vineyard, planted on an exposed summit with poor, rocky soil, is one of the most extreme terroirs in Spain. The climate combines humid Atlantic and continental influences, with cool nights that preserve acidity. Volumes are tiny, and the plot expresses the character of the site with rare intensity.

The grapes are harvested by hand, in several passes, and then partially destemmed. Fermentation takes place in wooden vats with native yeasts, followed by a maceration of around 48 days. Malolactic fermentation takes place spontaneously in the same vats. The wine is then aged for 11 months in French oak barrels and bottled without fining or filtration.

This wine reveals notes of red fruit, Mediterranean herbs, star anise, fennel, white pepper, cereals, damp fern and moss. The complex, ever-changing bouquet combines vegetal freshness, sweet spices and earthy nuances. The palate, of great purity, is crunchy and energetic, with fine tannins, vertical minerality and a long, airy finish.

The history of wine in Spain is so ancient that no one really knows who first brought the vines to the region. By the time the Phoenicians arrived some 3,000 years ago and founded the present-day cities of Cádiz and Jerez, viticulture was already well established, and Spanish wines were widely traded throughout the Mediterranean and North Africa. You could say that Spain is a winemaking miracle. After years on the sidelines of the world of fine wines, it is now a major player. Investment and ambition in vineyards and wineries are resulting in increasingly rich, complex (often high in alcohol), and spicy reds that are gaining popularity with international consumers. Proud to have more land dedicated to vines than any other country, Spain is only now beginning to capitalize on this resource in a consistent way. Spain is a chaotic jumble of regions and subregions, much like its landscape is a chaotic jumble of incredibly rugged scenery. A glance at a map reveals the climatic diversity among Spain's many wine regions, from the lush, green vineyards of Galicia on the northern Atlantic coast to the parched vineyards of the southeastern Mediterranean. Spain's saving grace for viticulture is the average altitude of its vineyards, which is over 600 meters. Many Spanish vineyards are thus able to produce grapes with good color and acidity simply because nighttime temperatures are relatively low and the grapes don't ripen until after a sufficiently long growing season. But there is a real treasure trove to be found for those willing to dig, and now that a class of connoisseurs has developed in Spain, all sorts of ambitious investors have done their part to change the image of Spanish wine. Today, a new generation of winemakers has quietly begun to craft spectacular wines and experiment with grape varieties that would have been unthinkable not so long ago. Wine remains an important commodity and an integral part of Spanish culture.