Structure

Bodymedium
Tanninmedium
Acidityhigh
Sweetnessdry
Finishlong
Oakoak aged

Drinking window

Best 5 to 22 years from vintage.
vintage5 yrs22 yrs24 yrs

Critic scores

No critic score is published for this bottle that we can cite with a reviewer, a vintage and a review year, so none is shown. The rating in the header is our own.

In the glass

Medium-bodiedMedium tanninHigh acidityDryLong finish

Aroma: blackberry, blueberry, sloe, raspberry, vanilla and clove, thyme and rosemary

Palate: juicy velvet texture, sweet integrated tannin, vibrant acidity

Elegant, silky and very subtle: layered red and black fruit with oak, vanilla and clove and a herbal thyme and rosemary lift over firm but understated minerality.

What it pairs with

  • Rack of lamb with herbs
    The thyme and rosemary register meets the herb crust directly.
  • Pigeon breast
    Vibrant acidity and sweet tannin frame a lean game bird.
  • Wild mushrooms with garlic
    The mineral echo of the Valdaiga site sits with forest mushrooms.

History

El Castañal is a centenarian vineyard on poor quartz and slate soils in the Valdaiga paraje, bordered by the Camino de Santiago. Yields run at about 15 hectolitres per hectare, and only the highest 0.3 hectares go into this wine, picked by hand grape by grape.

Facts

Producer
Casar de Burbia · visiting guide
Grapes
Mencía (100%)
Classification
Vino de Paraje (DO Bierzo)
Oak
French oak ageing after grape-by-grape hand selection
ABV
14.0%
Price
€105-120 at retail
Drinking window
5-22 from vintage
Organic
ORGANIC CERTIFIED

Frequently asked about El Castañal

What does El Castañal taste like?

Elegant, silky and very subtle. Layers of fresh red and black fruit, blackberry, blueberry, sloe and raspberry, run with delicate oak, vanilla and clove, a light smoked toast note and fresh thyme and rosemary. The palate is juicy and velvety with sweet integrated tannin and vibrant acidity.

Where is El Castañal made?

From the upper 0.3 hectares of the century-old El Castañal vineyard in the Valdaiga paraje at Valtuille de Arriba, on poor quartz and slate soils bordered by the Camino de Santiago.

When should I drink El Castañal?

Drink between five and twenty-two years from vintage.

What food pairs with El Castañal?

Rack of lamb with herbs, pigeon breast, or wild mushrooms with garlic.

Tags

cellar worthy dry high acid medium body medium tannin menc a mood contemplative mood elegant occasion cellar occasion gift occasion special old vines old world organic pairs with game pairs with mushroom pairs with red meat price fine single vineyard still red

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