Alma do Vello Tesouro 2022

The 2022 Alma do Vello Tesouro comes from a young vineyard planted with Brancellao (known locally as Albarello) in the middle of chestnut trees at 580 meters in altitude in the village of Rubiá. It fermented with indigenous yeasts and 90% full clusters and matured in well-seasoned used 500-liter French oak barrels for 14 months, followed by three more months in stainless steel. It's medium-bodied and has higher alcohol than the 2021 (13.5% here versus 11.95% in 2021), with tasty flavors and a savory finish. Winemaker Javier García told me that wines like this suffer more from the bottling; furthermore, he used more full clusters in the fermentation to try to extract less from the skins, and that tends to deliver more reductive wines. It's shy and austere, not giving any sensation of heat. It takes a little time to open up in the glass to elegant aromas of bright fruit, denoting freshness (red cherries rather than black ones), violets and lilies and is perfumed, floral and elegant. It has more clout than the 2021, but it keeps the balance and overall profile of elegance. This is really impressive for such warm year. 1,076 bottles were filled in May 2024.

100% Brancellao, also known locally as Albarello, this is seductive, almost ethereal. Fruit comes from an area called O’Bidual in Rubiá at 550m. The wine is lively with precise and pretty wild strawberry fruit, rose petal and violet aromas, and a touch of spice. Silky and immediately appealing, there is just enough tannin to support the wine and provide a serious structure.