Adega Algueira Escalada Ribeira Sacra Godello 2023
The wine displays orange blossom aromas on the nose, developing fennel and pastry nuances with time in the glass. The palate presents a dense, textured profile balanced by vibrant acidity and excellent persistence.
Escalada is a single vineyard wine sourced exclusively from the estate of the same name. This property represents a unique departure from the winery's typical approach of planting Godello in cool, partially shaded sites to preserve acidity and lightness. The Escalada vineyard features southern exposure, surrounded by Mencía plantings that require high sun exposure. This orientation produces more concentrated, ripe Godello grapes that yield a rounded, structured, and complex white wine. The vineyard is characterised by predominantly slate soils and employs trellis cultivation under sustainable viticulture practices.
The wine making process combined destemmed grapes with foot-trodden fruit, followed by brief fermentation in tank. Primary fermentation occurred in aged 500-litre French oak barrels. The wine was subsequently aged in 1000-litre foudres on lees with regular bâtonnage.
| RRP | £43.00 |
| Bottle size | 75cl |
| Vintage | 2023 |
| Alcoholic strength | 14% |
| Country | Spain |
| Region | Galicia |
| Subregion | Ribeira Sacra |
| Grapes | Godello 100% |
| Residual sugar (g/l) | 1.17 |
| Vegetarian | Yes |
| Vegan | Yes |
| Organic | No |
| Biodynamic | No |
| Closure | Natural Cork |
| Winemaker | Fernando Algueira |
Adega Algueira is a jewel in Ribeira Sacra’s magnificent crown. Described by Luis Gutiérrez as "one of the region’s leading producers with incredible vineyard holdings", this family-run winery is internationally recognised for producing refined wines from breathtaking vineyards perched on steep slopes that plunge towards the Sil River.
While viticulture in Ribeira Sacra dates back to the Romans, phylloxera, economic depression and civil war left the terraced vineyards abandoned and worthless. In 1980, the year Fernando González Riveiro came to the region, it was a complete ruin. Convinced of its potential, he began the painstaking work to restore some of these forgotten vineyards. Years later, in 1996, the same year the Ribeira Sacra appellation was created, he built a winery in the renowned subregion of Amandi.
Today, Fernando is a local hero and works alongside his son Fabio. They have 130 plots totalling 30 hectares of vineyard planted to local Galician varieties including Godello, Treixadura, Albariño, Loureiro, Mencía, Caíño, Sousón, Brancellao and Merenzao. Many plots are on very steep south-facing slopes, with gradients up to 85%, meaning vineyard work is carried out manually. Varied soil compositions, aspects and gradients result in many different microclimates. Through extensive research and vinification trials, they have unearthed the distinct characteristics of each plot. Slate and schist soils have proven well suited to Mencía, accentuating the variety’s natural tension and minerality, while granite soils with quartz and gneiss provide remarkable freshness and elegance to indigenous white varieties.
