Ronsel do Sil Vel’uveyra Mencia 2023 (750 ml)

85% Mencia 10% Garnacha 5% Negreda

Fermentation: 5,000 Loak foudre, Indigenous yeasts

ABV: 12%

Biodynamic (not certified)

Vel’uveyra is in old local dialect meaning ‘to gaze at the vineyard’ during the colorful harvest. The symmetric picture symbolizes grapes & their resolute philosophy to promote sustainable development.

The Ronsel do Sil Vel’uveyra comes from the estate’s steep terraced vines that differ in age and are picked at a range of altitudes.  A blend of predominately Mencia, along with some Garnacha and the local Negreda, the grapes are hand harvested and brought into the cellar for a cold (pre-fermentation) soaking, before entering into large 5,000-liter oak foudres for natural fermentation, and 8 months of aging. The expressive result has a vibrant nose of red fruits, spice, and hints of licorice, while leading to a soft and supple palate of plums, cherries, light herbs, and pepper.  This northwestern Spanish red is perfect drinking wine for many foods, as the fresh acidity and soft yet bright fruit is very complementary at the table.

Ronsel do Sil is situated in one of the world’s most extreme grape growing regions, the Ribeira Sacra DO of northwestern Spain. With vineyards planted throughout treacherously steep slopes (ranging from 300 to 700 meters above sea level), all pruning, maintenance, and harvest is carried out by hand on old terraces built by the ancient Romans called Bancales. Maria José Yravedra is an absolute visionary for the region, producing wines that not only show incredible varietal integrity, but she accomplishes this through natural farming and biodynamic principles, making around 45,000 bottles a year from their 10 hectare estate. Her philosophy is based on what she calls ‘heroic’ viticulture, reflecting a sincere balance with nature, through love and compromise with the land. Aside from composting each year with gorse (the last harvest’s prunings and remains), sheep graze the vineyards once a year to add their natural flare and keep excess plants at bay. In the cellar, an absolutely minimal approach is the secret to each perfect bottling, with a gravity flow system instead of pumps, all old wood and concrete use for aging, and very little sulfur additions, letting the native grapes of the area tell their individual story.

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