El Castañal is a century-old vineyard with poor quartz and slate soils that offers very low yields (15hl/ha) and grapes of great quality and uniqueness, which give the wine complexity and intense minerality. It is located in the Valdaiga area and everything about it is a spectacle. The beautiful vineyard, as we also call it, is bordered by the Camino de Santiago, a silent witness to the passage of thousands of pilgrims throughout the year on their way to Santiago de Compostela, allowing them to rest and catch their breath on one side, and being involuntarily portrayed by these walkers who see its unique beauty in it. It is small, only two hectares of Mencías in bush form. We have no record of planting, but they must be around one hundred years old. It is a magical place and the work here is very rewarding, because the vineyard itself regulates itself, as long as we know how to read its vegetation and pruning needs. From this very special vineyard comes El Castañal, an exclusive wine from the area, which we make in an artisanal way, grain by grain, to extract the beauty of the area and the identity of the Mencía grapes that we harvest by hand. A fruity wine, with body and soft tannins.

El Castañal is an elegant, silky and very subtle wine. Its presence in the glass is majestic, with a bright and captivating color with dense tears that descend slowly, reflecting the patience with which it has been made.
On the nose, layers of complexity unfold that seem endless. Fresh aromas of red and black fruits such as blackberries, blueberries, sloes, raspberries, intertwined with delicate touches of oak, vanilla and cloves, a light touch of smoked toast and fresh notes of thyme and rosemary. The minerality is perceived in a subtle but firm way, like an echo that resonates through time, reminding us of the inimitable character of the soils of Viña El Castañal, our beautiful vineyard.
On the palate, this wine is a seductive lover, enveloping the palate with its juicy and velvety texture, while a fresh acidity gives it a vibrant elegance. The sweet and integrated tannins caress slowly, leaving a persistent and enveloping sensation. The finish is long, eternal, almost as if it wanted to remain in our memory forever.

Production

We make the wine in a completely artisanal way, from the harvest to the destemming, grain by grain. We ferment in open French oak vats, where we introduce the unpressed grapes together with dry ice, making a pseudo carbonic maceration to enhance the fruitiest part of the plot. We then let it rest in French oak barrels, where we seek a fine and subtle contribution from the wood, for approximately 14 months, time in which the mineral traits of the wine settle until achieving a rich subtlety and elegance. Finally, the aging in the bottle will be a fundamental part of the production, since all the richness that this vineyard offers requires a fluctuating period of time in the bottle that rounds out all its excellent qualities.