2020 Quinta da Muradella Monterrei Tinto Candea

For over 30 years, Muradella's founder, José Luis Mateo García, has worked to give voice to Monterrei's ancient vineyards. The region's isolated, mountainous location once yielded wines prized by the Celts and Romans, but production waned after phylloxera and 20th century rural flight accelerated that trend. Yet José Luis knew in his heart that his native region's diverse soils and unique varieties could yield something special once more. He began making wine for his family's taberna in 1990 while also scouring the hillsides to revive old vneyards and local varieties. All replanting has been done with massale selections from the oldest vineyards, and José Luis has adopted his ancestors' practices co-planting vineyards, and co-fermenting with only the native yeasts. No artificial fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides are employed. To this day, his production remains tiny and his numerous cuvées are only released when he deems them ready. Established: 1990 ProprietorsWinemaker: José Luis Mateo García Appellation: Monterrei Soils: The base rock is granite, but geothermal activity has helped produce a wide variety of soils, with sand, schist, and iron-rich red clay quite common - often within the same vineyard.