Telmo Rodriguez Ladeiras Do Xil O Diviso Tinto Valdeorras
Telmo Rodriguez has become one of Spain’s most exciting wine maker’s over the past decade. His family owned Remelluri (of which he now makes again) but he stretched his wings early by making wine in different locations. He has become a strong proponent of single vineyard wines and has really worked at identifying vineyards that are worth featuring in a bottle. His project Ladeiras do Xil (meaning the hillsides of the Sil River) began in 2002 and at this point it has hit a high point.
O Diviso is a small vineyard near the town of Las Ermitas, a nearly forgotten town bypassed the main road on the hillside above. It’s a small town with a large, historic Sanctuary of Las Ermitas (represented on the label). It sits on the Bibei River and a small bridge crosses from the region of Valdeorras into Ribeira Sacra here. The vineyard is 1.2 hectares on the Valdeorras side of the river looking down at the town and the other side of the river canyon. The wine is wonderful. Elegant and long and really pretty wine.
“The single-vineyard wine from As Ermitas in Valdeorras, the 2018 O Diviso was produced with a field blend of Mencía, Garnacha, Mouratón and Caíño from 1.2 hectares of old vines on granite slopes in the Bibei banks overlooking the Ermitas hermitage. It fermented in oak vats with indigenous yeasts and, like all the reds from this zone, had a gentle élevage in a neutral 600-liter oak barrel for 14 months. This is the more reticent of the single-vineyard reds from 2018, the cooler place and the last grapes to be picked. Having only one barrel doesn’t give you a lot of room for blending. The palate is round and textured, with more clout and a little more tannin, and it feels like the wine is going to need a little more time. Unfortunately, there are only 680 bottles of this. It was bottled in June 2020.” 96+ Luis Gutierrez The Wine Advocate 96 points
“ So much spice to this with blackberries and dried flowers. Full-bodied and layered with dried berries and stone. Pepper, too. Subtle and intense. Drink now. ” 95 points James Suckling
