Camino Empedrado Rosado de Merenzao 2022, Ribeira Sacra

Mauricio Lorca

Before visiting this spectacular vineyard and tasting this equally mind-blowing wine, we had never heard of Bastardo / Trousseau referred to as Merenzao – the local name for this intriguing grape.

The vines are very old, more than 100 years, and this tiny production wine – only 600 bottles! – absolutely floored us with its incredible complexity and sheer charm when we tasted it from a single small tank in Mauricio’s little garage-scale winery. It’s a tad darker in colour than current trends prefer – so there’s one good reason to love it! And it’s a wine first, a rosé second. On the nose you can find red fruits and spice, hints of rhubarb and custard. In the mouth it’s a big fella – full and round with glorious balance and a big, hearty finish. It will stand up to bold gastronomy with big flavours. For a rosé it is comparatively expensive, yes, but for a wine made by hand with such wonderful personality and uniqueness, it’s a must.