Alan de Val Castes Nobres 2022 Red

Valdeorras is one of the worst-affected winegrowing areas in Galicia following this summer’s wildfires. Even so, the harvest has now resumed at its usual pace. The region is internationally acclaimed for its white Godello wines, but it also produces a significant quantity of reds.

The success of Godello, however, has come at a cost: the significant reduction in red grape plantings, which today represent just 20–25% of the DO's total surface area. Since we first published this article in 2018, Godello has grown from 370 hectares to almost 720 hectares. Indeed, many red vineyards have been grafted with Galicia's trendy white queen.

Alongside Mencía-based red wines, the region also shows promise with blends. In 2009, the Regulatory Board introduced the Castes Nobres label, which requires the use of at least 85% preferential varieties leaving the remaining 15% open to any authorised varieties. While this framework has been largely ignored in the case of whites —given the commanding position of Godello, which must be vinified as a 100% varietal— it has found tentative development in red wines.

One such example is this Alan de Val Castes Nobres blend of Brancellao, Caíño and Sousón, aged for six months in oak barrels. The Alan family, whose surname has Celtic roots, has been in the area for generations and has a long tradition of winegrowing and vine nursery cultivation. The great-grandfather and grandfather of the current generation were involved in replanting vineyards in Ribeiro following the phylloxera outbreak. Several decades later, their father continued the legacy when the construction of the Castrelo do Miño reservoir submerged vineyards in this region, spurring new plantings on higher ground. Nowadays, brothers Joaquín, Manuel and José Luis manage the estate: Joaquín oversees management and winemaking, while Manuel and José focus on the vineyard.

Thanks to their background as nurserymen, the family was among the first to plant Godello following its recovery under the Revival Plan, as well as other rare local varieties. “My father always rejected Palomino and Garnacha Tintorera,” explains José Luis Alan. “Brancellao originates from here, but Caíño does not. Still, it adapts well in Valdeorras and is our most disease-resistant variety.”

Godello and Mencía grapes dominate the family's 20 hectares of vineyards, but they also cultivate just over one hectare of Brancellao. After an unsuccessful attempt in the valley, they planted it in A Costiña in 2000, a south-facing plot of degraded slate soils between A Rúa and San Miguel. Using their own plant material, they first established the rootstock and later grafted the cuttings in the field. Alan de Val was the first winery in Valdeorras to produce a single-varietal Brancellao. In the mid-19th century, this variety thrived on the slopes overlooking the Sil River, until it was severely affected by powdery mildew and finally undermined by phylloxera.

Brancellao forms the backbone of this Castes Nobres, making up around 85% of the blend. Caíño contributes around 10%, while the powerful Sousón is limited to 3–5% “so as not to overwhelm the freshness and aromatic character of the Brancellao”, explains Joaquín Alan.   

The wine is in line with the emerging profile of pale, evocative Galician reds. Fresh and red-fruited, with beguiling herbal notes reminiscent of the forest, it is both moreish and full of personality and stands out for its aromatic lift and elegance. A great buy.

13% abv.
3,000 bottles
€16.5
Score: 92