D. Ventura 'Viña Do Burato'

This wine is a great recommendation for someone looking for a cru Beaujolais. One of the most stunning views in all of Spain is the insanely steep terraces of Ribeira Sacra. Traveling along the N-120 between Vilafranca del Bierzo and Orense you’ll parallel the Sil River, the “sacred river” that the region is named for, through Ribeira Sacra. From this mountainous road you can see the hillsides plunge into the Sil River, upon closer inspection you’ll notice the terraces. Cut by the Romans nearly two millennium ago, these terraces are so steep that they’re often taller than they are wide. For as long as anyone can remember, the locals have been growing Mencía on these slopes and using the grapes to make their own wine in their basements or garages, but few realized the potential that exists here. The south- ern facing terraces (the northern facing ones were abandoned long ago and have since and become overgrown) benefit well from the combination of the warm sun and the cooling breezes traveling along the Sil that allow for perfect maturation. The Losada family recognized the potential here and called on an old winemaker friend to help them craft the wine that they knew Ribeira Sacra could produce. Thanks to the unique microclimate created by the higher elevation terraces of over 80 year old vines that provide the fruit for the Viña do Burato, this wine is finer and more elegant than the other offerings from D. Ventura.