Ribeira Sacra Tinto, 'Finca El Curvado'

Score

92

Score

93+

"The Finca El Curvado bottling from Raúl Pérez y Rodrigo Méndez is produced from two different vineyards: Finca Vilanova (planted 1950) and Finca Rumiños (planted in 1972). The two vineyards share the same soil base of granite and schist, with just a bit of slate interspersed. The vineyards are planted to the typical field blend from Ribeira Sacra: primarily Mencía, with small percentages of Garnacha Tintorera, Bastardo and Caiño also co-planted. The wine is fermented with all whole clusters and raised in older foudres and demi-muids. The 2020 version tips the scales at an even thirteen percent octane and delivers a deep and complex bouquet of dark berries, pomegranate, tree bark, stony minerality, coffee bean, a touch of sweet stem tones and plenty of upper register smokiness. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, focused and sports excellent depth at the core, with fine mineral drive and grip, ripe, buried tannins, lovely balance and a long, complex and very promising finish. 2035-2075+"

Score

92

"I tasted two vintages of the Finca El Curvado, produced with grapes from five plots, four of them on granite and one on slate soils. The 2020 Finca El Curvado feels riper than the 2021 I tasted next to it. It fermented in stainless steel with full clusters and matured in 500-liter oak barrels for one year. It has the same alcohol on the label, 13%, but somehow feels rounder and softer, with fine-grained, slightly dusty tannins and a medium-bodied palate and a clean finish."