Envínate, Mencía Blend, Lousas Doad, Ribeira Sacra, Spain 2023

89% Mencía, 10% other varieties (Garnacha Tintorera, Brancellao, Merenzao, Grao Negro, etc) from several vineyards in the town of Doade that range in age from 23-65 years. The lower vineyards are mainly schist, giving way to gneiss and quartz in the upper parts. Doade is a term protected by the Ribeira Sacra D.O., so the name of this wine is Doad.

"Lousas" is the name, in Galician dialect, or Gallego, for the type of slate soil that predominates in the Amandi sub-zone of the Ribeira Sacra region.

Envínate (translates as "wine yourself") is a project that focuses on exploring distinctive parcels mainly in the Atlantic-inflected regions of Ribeira Sacra and the Canary Islands. The collective aim is to make profoundly pure and authentic wines that express the terruño of each parcel in a clear and concise manner.

To this end, no chemicals are used in any of the Envínate vineyards, all parcels are picked by hand, the grapes are foot-trodden, and the wines are fermented exclusively with wild yeasts, with a varying proportion of whole grape clusters included. For aging, the wines are raised in old barrels and concrete, and sulfur is only added at bottling, if needed.

The results are some of the most exciting and honest wines being produced in Spain today.