Casa Aurora 'La Nave'

The vibe: This wine is right where we’ve been lately (mentally, spiritually, all the above) and offers up a superb constellation of dark red and blue fruit, earthy soil tones, some cigar smoke and light spices on the finish, all coming in at a quaffable 13% alcohol. Though technically not classified as an official Bierzo Tinto due to the remote location of these old bush vines, wines from this region are a great example of why we recommend Spanish reds this time of year - they’re fresh, lively, and they’re the perfect transitional wine to ease into bigger reds in the winter months.

The winemaker: Casa Aurora is German Blanco's homage to his great-grandmother, one of the first female miners in Spain, who raised him in Albares de la Ribera, a small village in Leon. Here, in a tiny hamlet just outside the Bierzo DO, German makes pure wines from micro-vineyards that dot the landscape, and are usually planted with very old vines of a variety of different grapes. The higher altitude and the iron-rich clay soils of the area give these mountain wines a great balance between a soft mouthfeel and firm tannins.  There is also a fair amount of granitic rocks in the terroir, which are probably responsible for the floral, distinctive aromas you find in his wines.

The geeky details: 90% Mencia, 10% Garnacha, Tintoera & Palomino. 46 year old bush vines. Aged for 9 months in oak foudres, neutral barrels, stainless steel and flex eggs.

Serve: Cellar temp.

Food pairing: Paella, obviously. If you don’t have a paella pan (honestly fair) we’d go for chorizo pasta, charred steak or a hearty Spanish-inspired stew.

Album pairing: Kraak & Smaak - Scirocco EP