Ultreia, La Claudina, Bierzo, 2020
Produced from a relatively flat 0.5HA parcel of vines with a south-south east orientation on sandy soils in Valtuille, La Claudina is a warm site producing wines with roundness and complexity. The vines are now 50 years old. Ordinarily Raul encourages a layer of flor to develop over the wine but, as with 2019, the earlier harvest, with a lower pH than usual, makes it more difficult to maintain. Production averages just 1,500- 2,000 bottles a year. Yellow fruits and touches of dried pineapple, jasmine and creamy white flowers, La Claudina sees no topping up, no malo and no battonage and is bottled after a year in barrel.
critic reviews
They have lowered the alcohol and ripeness in most of the whites, but some vineyards are more difficult than others... The 2020 Ultreia La Claudina comes from a plot on sandy soils that needs higher ripeness to avoid excess bitterness. In 2020 it matured in 50% new barrels as they wanted to see how the wine behaved. It has power and consistence, but the style is a little different from what the wine was before, a little creamier and marked by the elevage. It's more exuberant and quite the opposite from the rectitude of La del Vivo. There are some 2,200 bottles from 1,700 liters of wine.