Casa Aurora, 'La Nave', Villa de Albares, Bierzo, Spain

‘La Nave’ is a 90% Mencía, 10% Garnacha Tintorera and Palomino blend, fermented with indigenous yeasts in open PVC tanks and undergoing gentle extraction with daily punch-downs. This is a medium bodied juicy and savoury red, that is for people who enjoy something a little more unusual. It is fresh, vibrant, and structured, with a silky texture, fine tannins, and a long, spicy finish. A true expression of Bierzo’s old vines and rugged terroir, this wine pairs beautifully with grilled lamb, roast pork, or mushroom risotto.

Casa Aurora is the passionate project of German Blanco, paying tribute to his great-grandmother, one of Spain’s first female miners. Nestled in a tiny hamlet just outside the Bierzo DO, German crafts expressive, terroir-driven wines from high-altitude micro-vineyards with vines averaging 65 years old. These vineyards, spread across Columbrianos, Albares, and Villadecanes, thrive in iron-rich clay soils with granite influences, producing wines that balance freshness, minerality, and structure. Farming organically and embracing low-intervention winemaking, German allows the vineyards to speak through wild yeast fermentations in a mix of amphorae, old foudres, and tanks, resulting in wines of purity and character.