Viognier
La Vi y Sone 2021
Barranco Oscuro

Grape Variety: Viognier

Producer: Barranco Oscuro (Manuel Valenzuela)

Region: Cadiar, Alpujarra, Andalusia, Spain

Wild Scale: 3/5

13% alcohol

Vegan friendly wine

Winemaking: Organic Viognier grapes from a single plot were hand harvested. Direct press before fermentation with indigenous yeast. Aged in a combination of stainless steel and old oak barrels. No filtration, fining or added sulphur. 

This Wine: Natural white wine with a medium to full body but balancing, fresh acidity. Stone fruit and citrus fruit combines with smokey minerality and a saline finish. Great served with fish or chicken. Just 3000 bottles produced.

Notes on the Winemaker: Manolo Valenzuela returned from France to his homeland of Granada province after the death of the dictator Francisco Franco. He acquired one of the highest vineyards in the world in the 1970s, he set about making wine without any additives which inspired an entire generation of winemakers from Spain and the rest of Europe. Hot days and cool nights (thanks to elevation) make this a unique environment with the Mediterranean sea just 10km away. We visited in 2023 to see Manolo still going strong at the age of 80.