O Gran Meín Castes Brancas 2021 75 cl.

O Gran Meín Castes Brancas 2021 is the demonstration of the plurivarietal landscape and the historical knowledge based on the smallholding of Ribeiro. The division of the land into vineyards of small areas and the different elaborations of treixadura, godello, torrontés, albariño, loureira, caíño blanco and lado are worked independently in the vineyard and winery. The search for the essence of each fraction of the land ends up forming part of an assemblage wine after aging. O Gran Meín Castes Brancas represents the viticultural history of Lugar de Meín, the Avia Valley and its aging capacity. Contained aromas of citrus and flowers that become expressive with oxygenation time. Complexity full of life that recalls its origin.

HARVEST

The winter of 2021 was rainy, accumulating a large amount of precipitation from the end of January to the beginning of March. Budbreak came at the end of this month, combined with high rainfall, which required special demands in the management of each plot. Sunshine and warmth appeared at the end of July, facilitating optimal development of the vineyard. The year was heading towards an uncomplicated harvest until several days of rain in September made harvesting difficult. Both in the vineyard and in the winery, all the grapes were selected cluster by cluster to ensure the exact ripening point and maximum quality in the winemaking process. The harvest began on September 6 and ended on September 28 for the white varieties. 2021 was a turning point in the production of Viña Meín-Emilio Rojo as it achieved the desired balance in the vineyard and showed the essence of future vintages.

VINEYARDS

The terraces and the different local varieties that make up the Meín site offer a fragmentation of the vineyard that is respected throughout the wine making process. This individualized care of the plots consists of adapting the equipment to the viticultural reality of each part of the vineyard. Under an ecological philosophy, the work is carried out differentiating its variety, its conduction system, its exposure... O Gran Meín Castes Brancas is an example of the value that Galician smallholdings bring to the production of great wines.

WINEMAKING

O Gran Meín Castes Brancas is made with the local varieties of the Avia valley: treixadura, godello, albariño, torrontés, loureira, caíño blanco and lado. The grapes are harvested in 12 kg boxes according to the moment of ripening, applying the colleiteiro style. In the winery, cluster selection is carried out and then whole cluster pressing. For the smaller plots, the crushing is done by hand. Only the first musts will be part of O Gran Meín after a separate elaboration of each variety and each plot. The final blend represents the small plots around Lugar de Meín, in the Avia valley. After 12 months of aging in stainless steel, concrete, oak and demijohn, the wine was bottled in autumn 2022. For greater protection, the wine contains sulfites. It is aged in bottle for 12 months before release.