# Finca El Curvado (2022)

- **Producer:** Castro Candaz
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Mencía
- **Region:** Galicia, Spain
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 13.0%
- **Average price:** €22
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 14–16 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, raspberry, plum, violet, rose, black pepper, herbaceous, cedar, toast, vanilla, leather, forest floor, wet leaves

## About this wine

Castro Candaz is a joint venture between legendary winemaker Raúl Pérez and Rodrigo Méndez of Forjas del Salnés. Located in the Chantada subzone of Ribeira Sacra, Galicia, Spain, this project focuses on 'Viticultura Heroica' (heroic viticulture) on incredibly steep, terraced granite and slate slopes along the Miño River. 'Finca El Curvado' is sourced from old Mencía vines, capturing the cool-climate, Atlantic-influenced elegance and mineral-driven character of this unique region.

## Interesting facts

- Viticultura Heroica refers to the extreme danger and physical labor of farming vines on terraced slopes with inclines up to 85%.
- This wine is a collaboration between two of Spain's most iconic winemakers: Raúl Pérez and Rodrigo Méndez.
- The Chantada subzone is cooler and wetter than other parts of Ribeira Sacra, yielding wines of exceptional freshness and lower alcohol.

## Food pairing

The high acidity, moderate tannins, and bright red fruit profile of Mencía make it incredibly versatile. It pairs beautifully with game birds, pork, and earthy mushroom dishes. Its Atlantic freshness also allows it to cut through the richness of traditional Galician octopus dishes.

## Wine making process

Fermented with indigenous yeasts in large open-top oak vats with a high proportion of whole bunches (whole-cluster fermentation). The wine undergoes a long, gentle maceration to preserve fresh aromatics and fine tannins, followed by aging for approximately 12 months in neutral French oak barrels. Unfined and unfiltered to maintain its pure terroir expression.