Un Culin

Jose Antonio García and his wife Julia Peña García (JAG) are at the forefront of the next generation of vignerons in Bierzo, leading the charge towards wines of place and definition. Their familialroots in Bierzo are fundamental to them, as they do all of the work in the vineyards themselves, which is signified by the term viticultor on their bottles. Jose’s mother is a native of Valtuille de Abajo, and his father is a native of Corullón. Together, Jose and Julia’s families have owned vineyards in Bierzo for generations. All of their wines are hand-harvested, foot-crushed, and vinified very carefully with native fermentation and without manipulation.
 
Unculín is a Vino de Villa wine from over 80 different organically-grown, family-owned small plots in
the village of Valtuille de Abajo. At 500m to 650m elevation, they are planted with 60 to 100-year-old
traditional bush vines from native varieties, including mencía, alicante bouchet, merenzao, palomino,
and doña blanca from various parts of Valtuille that are known for producing fresh, elegant wines, including: Cabanelas (clay soils), Mata los Pardos (sand and clay), and El Val (pebble soils), among others. Crucial to the quality and complexity of JAG’s wines is the genetic heritage of their ancient vines, planted mostly before the industrialization of Spanish wine. With some vines in Valtuille being between 100 and 200 years old, their vineyards provide an unspoiled genetic window to an era before modern clones were selected for higher yields. The viticulture is strictly organic, and the only compost used is local, organic chestnuts, which grow in the vineyards.
 
VINIFICATION | Whole bunches are hand-picked, leaving stems on 30% of the bunches. The remaining 70% of the grapes are de-stemmed by hand and left intact, without crushing. A 48-hour maceration precedes a spontaneous alcoholic fermentation with indigenous yeast. After fermentation the grapes are pressed with a 20-day post-fermentation maceration. All of this occurs in stainless steel tanks. After four months of aging on the fine-lees and malolactic fermentation in stainless steel, the wine is briefly
racked into foudres to give it some oxygen. Gently fined with bentonite, unfiltered and very little sulfur at bottling.
 
 
Bierzo – Vino de Villa Valtuille de Abajo
Sites: Cabanelas, Mata los Pardos, El Val, and others in Valtuille de Abajo
Elevation: 500-650m
Grapes: 85% Mencía / 15% blend of Garnacha, Palomino, and Merenzao
Vine Age: Vines planted from 1936-1956
Soil: Clay, sandy loam, and stone
Vinification: Spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeast in stainless steel
Aging: Four months on the lees in stainless steel, then racked into foudre before bottling
S02 Total: 50mg/L
Farming: Practicing Organic
Fining/Filtration: Unfined, light filtration before bottling
Vegan: Yes