Fil·loxera & Cía Mujer Caballo Verde 2020

Fil·loxera & Cía is a small Valencia project built around overlooked local material, and Mujer Caballo Verde is made from Ull de Perdiu, a scarce variety native to the Utiel-Requena plateau. The high inland sites here sit on limestone and clay soils, and the wide gap between hot days and cool nights slows ripening, holding acidity and keeping the fruit fresh rather than jammy. Ageing on the lees adds texture and a faint savoury depth as the spent yeast cells break down and release mannoproteins into the wine, while nine months in oak barrels softens the tannins and allows a slow, measured exchange of oxygen. The wine pours a radiant cherry-red. The nose is clean and lifted, with raspberry, redcurrant and a herbal, faintly earthy undertone, while the palate is light to medium in body, with fine-grained tannin and a vanilla trace from the wood. The finish is dry and savoury. Serve at 15 to 16 degrees Celsius in a standard red glass. It suits roast pork, herb-stuffed chicken and mushroom dishes.