2015 Galia Clos Santuy Ribera del Duero

Wine Advocate 96 – “The 2015 Clos Santuy is produced with the grapes from an ungrafted, head-pruned 1.12-hectare vineyard in the village of Piquera de San Esteban in the province of Soria, just outside the limits of Ribera del Duero, so it’s sold as Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y León. The vineyard is planted at some 968 meters in altitude on shallow sandstone soils and is enclosed by a dry stonewall. Bougnaud has been working and vinifying this plot separately since 2010 and noticed its personality and aging potential, but this 2015 is the first vintage to be released. This is a textbook elegant and fresh Ribera from the cooler part; it’s ripe and powerful but really in balance and includes some 10% of white Albillo grapes that surely add to the silky texture and the fresh sensation on the palate. What a portfolio Galia showed in 2015, and this jewel of the crown filled some 1,073 bottles in September 2017. Bravo!

The brands, labels, bottles and the image in general of the wines from Galia has changed with the 2015 vintage. This is the personal project of French winemaker Jerôme Bougnaud, who used to work for Quinta Sardonia. Bougnaud now also consults for Peter Sisseck and Regajal in Madrid, whose owner is also a partner here. In 2015, they also got their own winery in Villanueva de Duero. They make two single-plot bottlings, Le Dean and Clos Santuy, and the regular Galia was renamed Villages. These are really great wines, among the most elegant from the Duero. Many of the grapes are grown within the limits of Ribera del Duero, but the wines are sold as VdlT Castilla León.”