Mencía (85-100% depending on vintage) the remainder Brancellao, Merenzao, Caiño Tinto, local varieties found in Northen Spain and Portugal. Peza is Galician dialect for Pieza or Trozo, meaning “parcel”. This wine is named after a famed 5 ha parcel of prime vineyard which was considered one of the best vineyards in the time of Castilian kings (“Rei” is Galician for Rey meaning King).
Peza do Rei is fermented and aged in stainless steel and sees no oak at all. It is a light bodied, sappy, mineral red with crunchy red fruits (redcurrant/cranberry) and refreshing acidity. Try with local chorizo stew, cured meats, even the local pulpo a la gallega (octopus with paprika and olive oil) is a great match.
“Regular readers will know that I love red wines from this part of northwestern Spain, and this was one of my favourite wines at a recent Le Caveau portfolio tasting; fresh juicy raspberry and cherry fruits, with a lovely minerality. I could drink this all-night long.” John Wilson, IRISH TIMES
ADEGA CACHIN, Ríbeira Sacra Organic principles, natural
The D.O. of Ribeira Sacra (or “sacred hillside”) is the most visually stunning of all Galicia’s four D.O.s. in North-West Spain. It is home to some of the most spectacular vineyards anywhere in the world, with slopes approaching 60% incline. Ribeira Sacra is divided into 5 sub-zones following the rivers Miño and Sil (a tributary of the Miño) towards the city of Ourense. The estate comprises of 9.5 ha of their own vineyards and produces 70,000 bottles in total. This is a small, compact no-frills winery built into the hillside, the vineyards parcels are very small and viticulture is extremely difficult. The soil is mainly slate and schist.