Bodegas Belote, Calandria Prieto Picudo 2018, 750 mL

An obscure and nearly forgotten varietal, Prieto Picudo is being reclaimed by a new generation of Castilla y León farmers who want to preserve both it and their wine region as a whole. The grape is dark, aromatic and low in tannin, with acidity giving freshness and structure. The winery itself is a cave, an underground excavation in a clay soil, dug by beak and shovel, when modern technology was still non-existent. Spontaneous slow fermentations underground, in concrete tanks, with native yeasts and without haste, as their grandparents did. Aging takes place in amphora and French oak in the same underground cave, which gives the wine its vibe: silent, dark and cool. 100% Prieto Picudo