A border beauty beats boredom
I may not be able to leave the house today owing to the home quarantine which is in force across all of Spain during the current coronavirus crisis, but at least in my wine cellar I can overcome boredom and travel to the extremes somewhat to find a vinicultural partner for my mediterranean-style lunch of rice with tuna, tomato and black olives, venturing almost to the Portuguese border in search of something a bit different.
Frontier pioneers
‘La Xefa’ is certainly that – a cherry-toned rosado crafted with love, and by hand, by enologist José Manuel Beneitez of the small artisan bodega El Hato y el Garabato in the frontier appellation of Arribes in the province of Zamora. The name, of feminine gender and spelled in the northern Spanish style, translates as ‘the boss’ and is appropriately dedicated to Liliana, José Manuel’s Asturian wife, an environmental science engineer, Master of wine business management and partner in this young bodega planted among the hamlets and old vines of ancient wine terroir which surround the 2,000 year-old settlement of Fermoselle.
The diversity of autochthonous grapes found here along the steep banks of the River Duero, just before it turns to flow due west towards eventual disemboguement at Porto under its other guise as the Douro, is reflected in the wealth of varietals to be discovered among the manually-tended bush vines of El Hato y el Garabato, whose plots of Bruñal, Rufete, Bastardillo, Puesta en Cruz and others age between 80 and 120 years, having been planted at the commencement of the 20th century. Even their youngest vine stock, of white grapes, ages between 10 and 40 years.
La Xefa – a beautiful blend of Juan García and Doña Blanca
Small batch reds, whites and rosados of outstanding quality are all produced by this infectiously enthusiastic couple in their village bodega, built into the reformed family house of José Manuel’s grandfather. Today’s La Xefa is an exquisite blend of 85% Juan García – a rare, delicate, pre-phylloxera varietal uniquely found in this area and prized for the burgundy colour, long nose and strongly perfumed wine yielded by the brilliant, blue-black-skinned grapes – and 15% native Doña Blanca, an aromatic, thick-skinned and phenolic white grape perhaps best known for its use in the production of white port wine. The grapes are gently pressed under gravity, foot and hand without de-stemming, and the must is fermented directly in French oak, maturing in the barrel for between 4 and 6 months before bottling without filtration or clarification.
The passion and natural process of the production is evident in the resulting wine, which is complex and marked by minerality, from the poor and shallow sandy soils of the vineyards clinging to the rocky granite escarpments in Arribes, and notes of red fruit and pear with a lightly toasted background. It’s balanced, light, tasty and refreshing, and very suitable as a food accompaniment: it certainly paired perfectly with my lunch.
In these days of uncertainty across the globe I can’t be sure when I will next have the opportunity to physically drop in on José Manuel and Liliana for a barrel tasting with guests on La Ruta de Don Federico. In the meantime I’m thankful to be stocked up on a range of their wines, all of which are distinct, interesting and original. Even the design of their labels displays freshness and creativity – so much so that a bottle of La Xefa I have previously enjoyed now serves as an ambient night lamp, offering both light and a rosy glow to see me through the home confinement of the coming weeks.
¡Salud ! – good health to all.
