Fedellos do Couto - As Xaras 2021

Fedellos do Couto was founded in 2013 by Luis Taboada as well as winemakers Curro Barreño and Jesús Olivares. While Fedellos loosely translates as ‘Brats’, Couto refers to the 12th century manor which lies centrally on the vineyards. It is an estate where Luis’ family has resided for generations, and now serves as the base for the winery. The area lies in the remote, eastern edge of Siberia Sacra, between Ribeiras do Sil and Quiroga-Bibei. Climate tends to be cool, and the vineyards tend to avoid the full sun, resulting in wines that are lighter, with higher acid and lower alcohol content. The vineyards hover above the rivers Sil and Bibei, the driving forces that carve out the magnificent canyons and valleys in North-Western Spain. The soil profile is rich, comprising the Ribeira slate, amphibolite, granitic sand and gneiss.

The vines are planted and cultivated organically on steep terraces, making farm work possible only by hand, since machinery is inaccessible in such terrain. Vinification also take a minimal interventionist approach. The wines are gently fermented with natural, indigenous yeast and in whole bunches at low temperatures to facilitate gentle extraction of colour and phenolics. Old oak barrels are selected for racking the wines, which are then bottled without fining or filtration.

Wine critic Luis Gutierrez says of Fedellos, ‘This has to be one of the more exciting projects in Ribeira Sacra and the whole of Galicia, with wines that are often a real bargain. If they achieve this in their first two vintages, what would be the limit once they develop a better knowledge of the terroirs and vineyards of the Sil? Keep your eyes peeled.’