El Prohibido 2020

El Prohibido is made using 20-year-old vines located in the heart of the D.O. Ribeira Sacra with the advice and work of the renowned oenologist Raúl Pérez. Local varieties such as Mencia and Souson are used to give the wine its northern typicity. Grapes are hand-collected on the hillsides of the Ribeira do Miño area of this appellation and the best are then carefully selected before undergoing a cold maceration process and fermentation using wild yeast. The wine is stirred three times a day to ensure a good level of oxygenation and an optimum extraction of the colour and aroma of the skins. This is followed by a malolactic fermentation in barrels and an ageing process in tanks, French barrels, and the bottle. The five thousand bottles produced are a faithful reflection of the surroundings the grapes are grown in. El Prohibido is a fresh and seductive wine; with a low alcohol content and low intensity, it is even lighter than most other wines from the Ribeira Sacra, and also a little more acidic. A stylized and subtle wine, just the way Raúl Pérez likes to work. El Prohibido is one of those wines where the character of its creator is even more noticeable in the final result than other factors such as where it is produced or the variety used — though, their characteristics are also present. Although the vineyards are south-facing, the wine is not too mature — in fact, it is actually a complex and floral wine, silky and wild. It offers balsamic hints somewhere between bay leaves and eucalyptus, with minerality, smoke, and well-integrated tannins being key features. It has a long life ahead of it and is sufficiently moreish to convince even the most reticent wine-drinkers.