Algueira Escalada 2024

Algueira farms the near vertical slate terraces of the Ribeira Sacra in Galicia, where the Miño and Sil rivers cut deep canyons and the slopes climb to inclines of up to 85 percent. Everything here is worked by hand, the reason the region is known for heroic viticulture. This Godello grows on those slate soils, which drain sharply and reflect river light onto the fruit, while the canyon setting moderates the heat and holds the natural acidity that marks the grape. The wine is fermented and held in stainless steel on its lees, with no oak, so the focus stays on the fruit and the mineral pull of the slate. Contact with the lees gives a subtle roundness without softening the line. It pours pale with green glints. The nose is green apple, pear and white flowers, and the palate is dry and precise, with lemon, white peach and a saline, stony finish that speaks of the terraces. Serve at 9 to 11 degrees in a white glass.