Silice Viticultores "Silice" Tinto, Galicia '21

If you think of Silice Viticultores as winemakers first, things are bound to get confusing fast. Trying to keep track of the varietals, the terroirs, the aging processes - there's a lot of moving parts. More apt, then, to think of this crew - the brothers Juan & Carlos Rodríguez, and their good friend Fredi Torres - in the vineyards, some of which they own, some of which they work with other growers in the Ribeira Sacra.

In particular, they're focused around the Sil River Canyon (from which they take their name). This last stretch of the Sil River makes for absolutely breathtaking vistas: huge outcroppings of rock loom to near 500m over the meanders of the river below, and these dizzyingly steep slopes are lined with terraces for the vineyards.

Silice's wines are field blends from different pockets of these vineyards - and field blends in the truest sense. The Tinto is predominantly Mencía, although Mencía's total percentage in the blend has been declining in successive vintages, making room for other grapes like Garnacha Tintorera, Albarello, Brancellao, and numerous white varietals as well, including Treixadura, Palomino, and Albariño, sourced from over 20 parcels. Once in the winery, Fredi vinifies the varietals together in a mix of tank, concrete eggs, and a single old foudre - and coaxing out an old school, fresh, vibrant expression of this corner of the Ribeira Sacra.