{"product_id":"fedellos-do-couto-bastarda-ribeira-sacra-2023","title":"Fedellos do Couto Bastarda Ribeira Sacra 2023","description":"\u003cp\u003eWe have our attention firmly set on Fedellos do Couto and the wonders of wine they’re putting out. The \u003cem\u003e“Bastarda”\u003c\/em\u003e is 100% Merenzao (a grape called Bastardo in Portugal and Trousseau in the Jura) – akin to a light Oregon Pinot or cru Beaujolais. Pale, searingly acidic, and crunchy red fruited in style, it’s a happy and ethereal little red with 96 points and thrillingly under $35.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 2013, winemakers Curro Bareño and Jesús Olivares came together with Luis Taboada, whose family has owned the 12th century manor on the estate for generations over, to formally launch Fedellos do Couto. The name is a lighthearted bit of self-deprecation – \u003cem\u003e“Fedellos”\u003c\/em\u003e is Galician for young troublemakers, and the trio has lived up to their name, seeking out abandoned, north- and east-facing old-vine parcels in the Val do Bibei that bigger producers overlooked. These grapevines cling so desperately to the terraced slopes that the local viticulture is described widely as a “heroic” pursuit – and obviously done all by hand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith organic farming, the team has been able to coax these truly tremendous, fresher, lighter, higher-acid wines out of their cooler sites. They deliberately choose low-intervention cellar work – native yeasts, whole-cluster fermentation, long gentle macerations, and aging in well-seasoned oak with few additions. The 2023 \u003cem\u003e“Bastarda”\u003c\/em\u003e is 100% Merenzao from vines between 15 and 70 years old, fermented in whole bunches and aged in used French oak. Only 5,500 bottles were made, making this a genuine rarity, especially in the States.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe pale ruby color gleams and glistens in the glass – nearly translucent, really – and its nervy energy slides its way to your nose and palate with tart cherry, dried cranberry, and a little underscore of tomato leaf. Then a bit of lavender and white pepper, with a nice squeeze of blood orange toward the finish. A clean close of gravelly rocks and a lick of salt stone make this fantastically fresh, no matter the season – yet just like the Jura’s Trusseau, it will age beautifully for up to the next decade. Proof that lighter reds have just as much intricacy and character as bold ones do! 96 points, rare as can be, and under $35. Calling all wine geeks – this is not a drill!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFOOD PAIRINGS: Something with some fat to cut through that bright acid – crispy carnitas tacos with avocado crema, anyone?\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Bottle","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53482567467305,"sku":"2000343","price":34.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0793\/2706\/8457\/files\/FedellosdoCoutoBastardaRibeiraSacra2023_2000343_FB_Rack.jpg?v=1790016596","url":"https:\/\/firstbottlewines.com\/products\/fedellos-do-couto-bastarda-ribeira-sacra-2023","provider":"First Bottle Wines","version":"1.0","type":"link"}