Erosivo 2020

Erosivo is a single-site Rioja red from En Voz Baja, the small Rioja Oriental project of Carlos Mazo, made from a rare old-vine field of Tinto Velasco and Pasera planted in the 1950s. These are nearly forgotten local varieties, grown on a tiny plot overlooking the Sierra de los Agudos, where sandy soils and old, low-yielding vines give small berries and a delicate, scented style rather than power. The winemaking is low intervention. Whole bunches are crushed by foot in small barrels and fermented spontaneously with native yeasts, without temperature control, then aged for twelve months in old French oak and concrete. Because the oak is old and the concrete neutral, neither adds wood flavour, so the wine keeps a clean, transparent expression of the vineyard. It shows a translucent, scented character, with wild strawberry, red cherry and plum on the nose, lifted by dried rose, fresh earth and a peppery edge. The palate is light to medium bodied and detailed, with fine, silky tannins, bright acidity and barely a whisper of oak, ending on a long, savoury, mineral finish. Serve at 15 to 16 degrees in a Burgundy glass, and there is no need to decant.