Vegas Altas' Eva de los Santos 2016
Grown from 85-year-old vines in clay soil followed by being harvested by hand. Very vibrant and straw in color. Bright flavors of pear, stone, honeysuckle, and apple. An easy drinker but also perfectly paired with food.
Tasting Notes: Dry on the palate with well-balanced acidity and a touch of bitterness on the finish.
Pairing Suggestions: Tapas, Oysters, Grilled Fish
Extremadura, Spain
Type: Orange, White | Vintage: 2016 | Sulfur: Minimal | Varietal: Eva de los Santos | Alcohol: 12.5% | Production: Organic | Style: Complex
Producer Profile
Juan Sojo and Ángel Luis González started Cerro la Barca in 2003. The two met in oenology school and bonded over their desire to revive the reputation of their native Extremadura, in western Spain near the Portuguese border. While it’s history can be traced to 550 BCE, phylloxera and powdery mildew hit the region hard in the 19th century. Winemaking started a gradual revival after the Spanish Civil War and has been picking up steam ever since. The majority of the wine currently produced in the region is bulk Vino de Mesa (table wine). Cerro la Barca is in the Ribera del Guadiana region, which was awarded DO status in 1999. Extremadura (capitol Mérida) is broken up into two subregions, Càceres in the north and Badajoz in the south. The DO Ribera del Guadiana falls in both regions and is broken down into six heterogeneous subregions that vary in elevation from 250 to 800 meters above sea level. As a whole, the region has a dry continental climate with temperatures getting up to 100 degrees in the summer and down to freezing in the winter. With an average rainfall of 17 inches a year, summer drought is a challenge in the region, as is springtime frost.
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About Natural Wine
Great question! There are a lot of definitions for natural wine with the main term you'll hear being that it has had minimal intervention. To be more specific, our definition is that the wine must first be sustainably farmed, which typically means it was organically or biodynamically farmed.
Then, in the cellar the natural winemaking process has some differences as well! The wine is typically unfined, unfiltered, and goes through spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts. If you want to know more about what natural wine is, we have an entire guide under our reference section!
The short answer is that natural wine can taste like any other kind of conventional wine (we like to call these stealth natural wines) or it can taste quite a bit different, as production methods can vary and potentially be lighter, or in a style you've never had before (like orange, pet-nat or amphora).
The natural wine community is also more accepting of some qualities in wines that conventional would consider a flaw, like Brett, some oxidation, or volatile acidity. We would consider these in high amounts to also be a flaw, but in many cases a touch of these qualities can ultimately improve their flavor and texture and be happily accepted in a natural wine.
To find out more about what natural wine tastes like, check out our full blog and podcast on the topic here.
The short answer is, no! But many are. Glou-glou describes winesthat are easily chuggable, impossible to put the glass down, and seductively delicious! They tend to be young and fresh, designed to be drunk early with an average ABV of around 10%. Check out different styles or glou glou natural wine here on our site.