Pacio 2022 Red

The focus this week is on Galician reds thanks to one of our favourite producers in Ribeira Sacra. Xabi Seoane is the driving force behind a modest venture producing just 20,000 bottles in the hamlet of Carracedo (A Peroxa, Ourense). 

Originally called Fazenda Prádio, the winery is now known as Familia Seoane Novelle, a name that, according to its founder, "helps to explain that we are a family rooted in this land for several generations".

The vineyards are in Chantada, the westernmost subarea of the DO, just a few kilometres from Os Tres Ríos (The Three Rivers), where the Sil, Miño and the smaller Búbal rivers converge. Although this area is far from the dramatic slopes that frame the Sil Valley and have made Ribeira Sacra famous, it shares the same rugged terrain. Seoane also argues that A Peroixa is more strongly influenced by the Sil than the rest of Chantada. The soil is mainly granite, with around 30% schist.

While the winery’s most popular red is a vibrant, spicy Mencía, it is Pacio that best encapsulates its ethos. The project follows a twofold mission: to reconnect with the historic, multi-varietal vineyards that once defined the region, and to explore the diverse terroir expressions of A Peroxa. Pacio, an overlooked enclave in the parish of Carracedo where Xabi’s father first bought vines, marks the beginning of this journey. Seoane’s long-term ambition is to craft limited releases from other parishes too. Galicia’s rural geography is notoriously fragmented -A Peroxa alone encompasses more than 100 hamlets scattered across a dozen hamlets.

Pacio 2022 explores the role of blending -not just grape varieties but also soils and vineyard exposures- in building complexity and depth. The wine includes Brancellao, Merenzao, Caíño Longo and Mencía, and a smaller amount of Sousón, the latest variety to be added to the blend. With such a diverse cast -Merenzao and Mencía are early ripening varieties, unlike Caíño Longo and especially Brancellao, Seoane favours warm vintages such as 2022 because, in addition to obtaining healthy grapes, the optimal harvesting times are closer together. In cooler years, on the other hand, late-ripening varieties often struggle to achieve full maturity. Sousón, in particular, is harvested almost at the point of raisining to avoid the rustic, green notes it can otherwise contribute.

The destemmed grapes are fermented separately in small granite vats and then blended before malolactic fermentation and ageing in seasoned 500-litre barrels for about eight months. The most significant evolution in the winemaking process has been the lengthening of maceration with the skins. In the past, devatting took place after fermentation, but as the vines have matured, Seoane has extended skin contact by an additional two to three weeks. This gentle, controlled extraction of polyphenols provides greater intensity.

The result is an energetic, complex and expressive wine with aromas of woodland, herbs, dried flowers and wild berries. It has good acidity and depth, with well wrapped tannins and a long, lively, spicy finish with hints of black pepper.

We tasted the wine at the launch of Vigneron Select, a new distribution company founded by Luis Haxel that focuses on small producers. Familia Seoane Novelle’s wines will be part of its portfolio in Madrid, whilenational distribution is handled by Caskadia.

3.900 bottles
Score: 94