2020 Fazenda Agrícola Augalevada Mercenario Tinto
WINEMAKER: Iago Garrido
REGION: Galicia, SP
VARIETY: Caiño Longo, Brancellao
VITICULTURE: Certified Biodynamic/Organic
Mercenario, or “mercenary,” in English, is a range of wines that comes from purchased fruit, or vineyards that Iago farms but doesn’t own. Vineyards worked by Iago are under organic or biodynamic culture, and others are a mix of organic and conventional, depending on each grower. The only grapes that Iago accepts from conventional growers are from exceptional sites, but they remain a minuscule proportion of his fruit.
This wine seems delicate, but underneath there’s something hiding, a secret perhaps. There’s a harmony of red fruit, ripe strawberry and pomegranate, licked with apple pip and a hint of cassia like darkness. Like all the wines from Iago, there’s this tremendous salitness from the seaspray that shimmers through - pink sea salt here but smattered with black pepper. It is fresh, vibrant and yet decadent all at once. A perfect dinner party red. The Mercenario Tinto is composed of Caíño Longo and Brancellao, all from parcels throughout Ribeira in the Arnoia, Avia and Miño Valleys on many different soil types, but predominantly on granite. The varieties are very gently macerated with very light and infrequent extractions. After pressing, the wine is split between amphorae and large oak, to lead to what is a generous and youthful wine, to be enjoyed with good company. It’s lift and acid will make a happy home with a Jura lover.
The most Jurasian-style of Galice. With a background in agricultural engineering, Iago became fascinated with permaculture at a young age and Augalevada is the first biodynamic certified (Demeter) winery in the history of Ribeiro. Galician cows chew on the lush grass, chickens roam through the vines while diverse orchard trees and a vegetable patch feed Iago’s family. In 2009 he purchased a bit over 4 hectares and add planted himself two-and-a-half hectares in the following years. Iago built his cellar on the granitic hill over three floors allowing for gravity during winemaking. He ages his wines in 500 litre and 600 litre barrels as well as tinajas, made by the master Juan Padilla (Villarrobledo), buried underground in the cellar basement.