Guimaro A Ponte 2018 (WA 95)

Wine Advocate 95 points.
The red 2018 A Ponte comes from one of the family's oldest vineyards, though it was planted only 10 years ago, replicating the old varietal mix, going back to ancestral times with 30% Mencía and then equal parts of Caíño Redondo and Caíño Longo, Sousón, Brancellao and Merenzao. The soils are slate with iron, quartz and mica, and this plot has a southeast exposition (what does it bring). All the varieties fermented together with 100% full clusters in closed troncoconic vats with a 50-day total maceration time. The wine matured in a 5,000-liter oak vat for six months and then was moved to used barrels of different sizes, up to 500 liters, where it went through malolactic and some 10 months élevage. This feels a bit closed compared to the Camiño Real; it's a serious wine that takes some time to open up in the glass. It combines spices and flowers and is quite complex, a juicy and vibrant red with more freshness. It has a slightly different profile from the other single vineyard, this is at slightly higher altitude and has less Mencía than any of the reds. This shows how young vines can produce deep, complex and complete wines. 4,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in April 2020. LG May 2020.

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