Amazing wines of Bierzo
Only at Losada Vinos de Finca you find the best wines in Bierzo!
Importers looking for very good quality wines you are in the right place!
Interview of Amancio Fernández – Winemaker – Losada Vinos de Finca for AsiaImportNews – Exclusive
Could you please tell us the story of your winery, when it was created and how it developed decades after decades ?
The winery is situated in Cacabelos on the road to Villafranca del Bierzo. This location, in the center of a triangle formed by Cacabelos, Villafranca and Toral de los Vados, allows the best possible access to the production zone of most of the quality grapes produced in Bierzo.
The Property
Aiming to make an elegant new wave Bierzo wine, Losada Vinos de Finca boldly sought out old Bierzo vineyards traditionally planted on clay soils, a terroir which had been relatively overlooked by the Bierzo’s new wave.
As a result, Losada was established on the outskirts of the village of Pieros, on the St James pilgrimage route, midway between Cacabelos and Villafranca del Bierzo.
The company also owns vineyard plots mainly planted on clay soils around Valtuille de Arriba, where grapes for Altos de Losada are produced.
Wine Maker:
Amancio Fernández Gómez (París, 1972).
Since 2005, Amancio Fernández is in-house oenologist at the Losada Vinos de Finca bodega, a young venture whose philosophy is to extract the maximum expression from the region’s terroir via the painstaking selection of estates and vineyards. “Our aim is to find exceptional clay-soil plots in Valtuille and Pieros, capable of producing elegant and complex Mencía”.
Complexity and elegance are the grassroots of the Losada Vinos de Finca project, where, in addition to the conscientious selection of vineyards in order to express the true character of the region, the grapes belonging to each individual estate are handled independently at the bodega. Furthermore, the ageing process is regarded as a means of adding complexity and nuances to the wine, increasing its longevity. All of which is geared towards expressing the terroir of El Bierzo, with the greatest authenticity possible. “Our philosophy is to respect the environment and make elegant wines” Amancio summarised.
Spanish Wine Maker, Amancio Fernández link http://www.foodswinesfromspain.com/spanishfoodwine/global/foodpedia/who-s-who/wine-maker-amancio-fernandez.html
Wine-making approach
In the cellars, we are as non-interventionist as possible and aim to bring out in the wine-making the character of the vineyard and the quality of the vintage that our painstaking work in the vines has sought to enhance. Our wine-making approach is underpinned by a combination of solid technical know-how and the experience and intuition gained from more than ten vintages in Bierzo.
Harvest and vinification
We harvest by hand, placing the bunches in small plastic crates that are taken as quickly as possible to the harvest reception area of the winery. The fruit undergoes rigorous sorting on the vines so that any additional sorting required at the winery is minimal. The grapes are then de-stemmed and gently crushed before the fermentation begins naturally with the indigenous yeasts of the grape skins. The frequency of pump-overs and the temperature of fermentation are adjusted according to the character of the vintage. The new wines are then run off the skins into barrels for the malo-lactic fermentation.
Ageing
Our wines are differentiated according to vineyard origin rather than length of time spent in barrel. We believe that the role of the barrel is to let the wine breathe slowly through the pores of the oak and thus bring added complexity and greater longevity to the wine without losing its freshness and varietal character. We oak barrels that show the true character of the forests the wood was sourced from and which are best suited to the delicate and elegant wines that we produce. Our reliable French coopers are requested to supply us with lightly toasted barrels, taking into account the characteristics of each vintage.
What sort of wines are you producing ?
To begin with, we choose to sacrifice quantity in order to obtain prime material with maximum concentration. Our vineyards represent a legacy from earlier generations in the form of small parcels of old bush vines, and we believe in minimum intervention out of respect for tradition.
Our viticulture follows a different path in Bierzo; instead of looking for step hill slate soils, we have found that mencía and godello grape peel of old vines when planted on clay soils is much finer, structure softens and wines result silkier. Acidity, backbone of these wines, is then evolved with delicateness and elegantness becomes the main characteristic of this wines
How important are your export distribution compared to national distribution ?
From the beginning Losada Vinos de Finca was focused on export markets, now we self more than 50% of our bottles in foreign markets.
What sort of distributors are your customers ?
Usually our importers and distributor are wine lovers, and they sell high quality products, and very different wines.
Why your wines are different from other wineries in your area ?
As I say before, we believe in minimum intervention out of respect for tradition.
Our viticulture follows a different path in Bierzo; instead of looking for step hill slate soils, we have found that Mencía and Godello grape peel of old vines when planted on clay soils
Do you produce grapes in a organic or environmental friendly method, or with general methods ?
Environmental friendly method, it isn’t difficult in El Bierzo, because is a small area with a very small and old vineyards.
Are your wines already distributed in Asia, and if not what are the countries you are looking for new distributors ?
We have some costumers in Asia, like in Hong Kong and Japan, and know we are trying to find new possibilities in other countries for sure, we will attend next Prowein 2017 in Düsseldorf and other international fair to find new importers.
Thank you very much Mr. Amancio Fernández – Winemaker – Losada Vinos de Finca for your time and answers!
For Importers:
Losada Vinos de Finca: www.losadavinosdefinca.com
Unique flavors that you’ll never forget!
