Ultreia, La Claudina, Bierzo, 2021
A subtle white fruited gentle nose, with ripe lemons and notes of honey and stem ginger. Nicely layered with silky white peaches and softly pressed flowers. Finishing with notes of bread and salt. 100% Godello from a 0.77 hectare parcel with sandy soils in Bierzo, on the border between Valtuille del Abajo and Villafranca del Bierzo, protected from frost by the nearby river. Direct press with no maceration and left to settle in oak vat before fermentation in used barrique. No top up of the barrels so as to allow a little flor to develop, bringing texture and salinity. Left for a year in barrel with no stirring or racking and bottled unfined and unfiltered after around 12 months.
critic reviews
There is a smoky twist in the 2021 Ultreia La Claudina, a low-yielding vintage, from a plot in Valtuille on sandy soils. The grapes struggled to ripen, and the wine has a more austere profile than the wines from yesteryear, when it was a lot more exotic and exuberant but with a spicy twist that they reckon comes from the foudre used. It's from one of the oldest plots from the newer plantings in the 1980s. 1,300 bottles produced.