Mixtura “Blanco”
GALICIA, SPAIN | 2019
Mixtura is a new, avant-garde project by Gutier Seijo Otero, a Galicia native who gained extensive experience in his former position as winemaker at Dominio do Bibei in Ribeira Sacra. Gutier has been the mastermind behind many of the great vintages and advancements in modern Galician wine. His Mixtura, created recently in 2019, is the natural evolution of his ideals and vision.
Mixtura was born of an ideology built on the search and recovery of historical vineyards and their native varieties along the path of the ancient river valleys of northwestern Spain’s border with Portugal. Mixtura pays homage to the landscape and the architectural and cultural heritages of each region: Gutier’s homeland. The goal is to make profoundly pure and authentic wines, and the result places Mixtura among the most exciting and honest wines being produced in Spain today.
Mixtura 2020 is made with Treixadura and Albariño from three different plots, each exposed to different climates. The Treixadura comes exclusively from the Ribeiro area, hand harvested in different vineyards at altitudes between 90 and 200 meters, with soils of sabrego (decomposed granite). Ribeiro has a transitional climate with a Mediterranean character softened by the influence of the Atlantic Ocean.
Part of the Albariño comes from a vineyard in Condado do Tea, the southernmost subzone of Rías Baixas, bordering Portugal. The vineyard is south facing, located at an altitude of 400 meters, planted on sandy soils of decomposed granite, with an Atlantic climate warmer than the neighboring Salnés Valley subzone. The other part of the Albariño for the blend comes from Melgaço, a village and subzone of the Portuguese Vinho Verde D.O. The soils here are also sandy decomposed granite and are influenced by a cool Atlantic climate.
Grape bunches are selected in the vineyard, with only ideal fruit selected for Mixtura, and are hand harvested. Fermentation with native yeasts in large format Stockinger foudres, followed by 12 months in the same barrels on the lees. Malolactic fermentation is spontaneous. The wine is then racked into concrete eggs, where it develops for 12 months. Bottled unfined and unfiltered, with minimal sulfur at bottling. The result is a surprising wine with a nose of great intensity and character. It is rich in herbal and floral nuances that take us back to its origin, with ripe fruit and subtle spice notes. The finish is long, flavorsome, and intense. The 2020 Mixtura is a grand, structured wine that is delicious now, but capable of developing for a few more years.
Please note, this is normally a $60 retail bottle of wine. The importer and producer are no longer together, and so we struck a special deal with the importer to be able to offer this in our wine club. Buy some more while you can! It is truly spectacular and a must-buy for anyone who loves the white wines of Galicia!