Candea Tinto 2020 (6 Bottles) Monterrei, Italy

Candea is Muradella’s new entry level label, for want of a better phrase. Future vintages (for both a red and a white) will be sourced from the Monterrei vineyards of a great friend of José Luis Mateo, Juan Jose Vilela. The Vilela family was once one of the region’s largest farmers of old vines, and played a significant part in Mateo’s emergence as one of Spain’s most exciting wine growers.

Per the Candea Blanco, the Tinto fruit is sourced from the Monterrei vineyards of José Luis Mateo’s great friend and now collaborator Juan José Vilela. Mateo consults on the viticulture throughout the season and orchestrates the harvest with his picking team. This is a fleshy, juicy blend based on Mencía, with a coterie of other local grape varieties—including Garnacha Tintorera, Mouratón and Arauxa (Tempranillo)—all sourced from mature vines at 400-450 metres above sea level.

The ferments are spontaneous and include roughly one-third whole bunches. Much of the maturation is carried out in stainless steel. Regarding a tasting note—what Luis Gutiérrez said! Think of this as Muradella’s home bistro cuvée, with all the deliciousness this entails; it’s a tangy, herb-tinged red with succulent red fruit and flowers, all checked by a lick of rocky, powdery freshness.

“I love the simplicity of the red blend 2020 Candea Tinto, which is straightforward, tasty, juicy and balanced, without any excess or makeup, raw and authentic, with notes of wild berries, flowers and herbs and a medium-bodied palate with moderate alcohol and nice balance. Highly drinkable.”
92 points, Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate