Verónica Ortega Cáreo 2023

Verónica Ortega came to Bierzo in 2010, having trained in Priorat with Álvaro Palacios and learned alongside Raúl Pérez and Ricardo Pérez Palacios, two leading figures in the region. Based in Valtuille de Abajo in the Sil valley, she farms organically. Cáreo 2023 is built on Mencía, the red grape of Bierzo, co-fermented with a portion of local white varieties, an old field-blend practice that adds aromatic lift and freshness. Bierzo sits in a sheltered valley in north-west Spain, cooler and wetter than much of the country, on a mix of clay and slate soils that give Mencía its mineral edge and floral perfume. Fermenting the red and white grapes together fixes some of the white aromatics into the wine and lightens the texture; ageing then runs through both oak barrel and clay amphora, the amphora keeping the fruit pure while letting the wine breathe. The colour is a bright ruby. The nose is fresh, with red cherry and redcurrant, white flowers and a peppery, mineral note. The palate is light and lively, the tannins fine, the finish clean. Serve at 14 to 16 degrees, lightly chilled. It suits pork, roast poultry and mushroom dishes.