Envinate "Misturado de Abeleda" Ribeira Sacra 2021

Vin Chicago: 94 Points

(10/2023) A stunning wine whose dark hue would never suggest the true blend of 65% indigenous red varietals with 35% white grapes with Mencia as the star as is always true in this section of Galicia. The vines average over 80 years and are seated at 650 meters in gneiss and schist soils. Hand-harvested, whole-cluster fermented in a concrete tank with a long 36-day maceration before resting in old barrels for 11 months. Intense but weightless at 12.5% ABV, this difficult-to-define gem shows complex notes of black plum, peppery spices, loads of complex soil features, pomegranate and violets. It's a perfect balance of yummy, fresh, tart dark fruit and savory complexity walking a highwire of energetic tension. Just 1,580 bottles were filled without any sulfur, which can be risky but this continued to amaze us for nine days after opening without any oxidation! An intense, complex natural wine that's done exceptionally well.