2020 Quinta da Muradella Candea Tinto, Galicia

I love the simplicity of the red blend 2020 Candea Tinto, which is straightforward, tasty, juicy and balanced, without any excess or makeup, raw and authentic, with notes of wild berries, flowers and herbs and a medium-bodied palate with moderate alcohol and nice balance. Highly drinkable.

92 points Luis Gutierrez robertparker.com

As per the Candea Blanco, the Tinto fruit is sourced from the Monterrei vineyards of a Mateo’s great friend and now collaborator, Juan Jose Vilela. Mateo consults on the viticulture throughout the season, and orchestrates the harvest with is picking team. This is a fleshy, juicy blend based on Mencía, with a coterie of other local grape varieties—including Garnacha Tintorera, Mouratón and Arauxa (Tempranillo)—all sourced from mature vines at 400-450m above sea level.

All the ferments were wild, and included roughly one-third whole bunch influence. Much of the maturation is carried out in stainless steel. Regarding a tasting note—what Luis Gutierrez said! Think of this as Muradella’s home bistro cuvée, with all the deliciousness that this entails; it’s a tangy, herb-tinged red with succulent red fruit and florals, all checked by a lick of rocky, powdery freshness.