Peninsula Viticultores - 'Skin Contact', Castilla La Mancha, Spain (2022)

TASTING NOTES

Stone fruit with orange peel, grapefruit and ginger. Mouthwatering freshness on the palate with textural, chalky depth from the skins. The finish is remarkably long and satisfyingly dry, underscored by a firm but fine tannic grip.

Peninsula Skin Contact is a low-SO2 orange wine that explores the complexity and nuances of long macerations of white grapes on their skins. Spain and Castile, in particular, have a long tradition of skin-contact whites, which deserves to be explored and updated. The wine is made from a single, experimental parcel of Albariño, grown organically on their estate in Cuenca. The climate is dry and very continental, with the high altitude causing a wide diurnal temperature range, helping the Albariño to develop remarkable aromatic intensity early in the ripening cycle. This allows early picking for moderate potential alcohol and to preserve its naturally high acidity. 

Península Vinicultores was founded by two Masters of Wine: Andreas Kubach MW, leads production and Sam Harrop MW directs viticulture. Andreas, raised in Brazil and Spain by German parents, and Sam, a native New Zealander, bring a new-wave, international perspective to the Spanish wine landscape. Andreas believes that in the past century, and notably post-industrialization, Spanish producers have prioritized wines of style, focusing on winemaking and aging, rather than wines of place. This creates what he calls a “ceiling of interest” for terroir. Inspired to change this narrative, he is focusing on small, old-vine plots all over Spain that were either formerly abandoned or are at risk of being ripped out for to plant more lucrative cash crops. The wines also champion local, indigenous varieties traditional to their respective regions and best express site.