Dominio de Urogallo - a detour from the Languedoc into Asturias
I love going off the beaten track in search of the unusual, so a week’s holiday in Asturias in northern Spain provided a great opportunity to discover a new DO, Cangas and new (to me) grape varieties. Asturias is lush and green and quite unlike the usual Spanish scenery that you might imagine. The region is actually much better known for its cider. That is what the locals drink, and there is even a cider museum that is well worth a visit. But wine is not entirely neglected. The largest producer, accounting for at least half the production of the region is the Monasterio de Corias. The cellars adjourn the parador hotel of the same name, near the town of Cangas del Narcea. There are about 300 hectares in the DO of Cangas planted, with about ten wine estates altogether, of which one of most interesting is Dominio de Urogallo.
There were vineyards in Asturias as early as the the 9th century and monasteries played their part in the Middle Ages. Phylloxera arrived at the beginning of the 20th century, and people turned to mining to make money, and many vineyards were abandoned or pulled up. But when the coal was finished, they turned back to wine. But people are less willing to work on the land, for the terrain is certainly challenging. Nonetheless those who produce wine, firmly believe in the future of Asturias.
We left the motorway that runs across the province of Asturas and headed down a valley towards the town of Cangas. The road twisted and turned and the scenery was dramatic. At one stage we were held up by roadworks, or more precisely work to secure some the overhanging rocks, and where the road was close to the hillsides of the valley, there were heavy duty netting to catch falling rocks.
We had an appointment with Francisco, otherwise known as Fran, Asencio, who has developed his own estate, completely starting from scratch. He comes from Seville but was visiting Asturias and was completely enchanted by the region. There was an opportunity to be seized. His enthusiasm is infectious. Although he had no immediate wine growing experience - he would describe himself as an entrepreneur who has done many things in his professional life - wine was in his genes. His grandfather had made wine in Ribera del Duero in northern Spain And Fran has learnt from experience. He tells a wonderful story of asking Alain Graillot in the Rhone Valley if he could work a vintage for him, and bribing him to say yes, with an offering of a large Spanish ham. Apparently, M. Graillot was unable to resist. Fran made his first wine in 2009, and he now manages 17 hectares, divided into some 39 different plots. The furthest is 30 a minutes drive from the winery. The vineyards are all rented. Fran talked about the philosophy of ownership. The locals will not sell; it would be like selling your heart, even if the vineyards are abandoned. I asked for an explanation of the name of his estate. Urogallo translates as capercaillie, or more familiarly, a variety of grouse, which is found in the region.
The principal grape variety of Asturias is Albarin, a white variety that has absolutely nothing to do with the Albariño of neighbouring Galicia. Alba simply implies white. Fran also has some Albillo, and some Petit Manseng which he described as a mistake. And for red wine there is Carrasquin, Verdejo Negro, which is the Trousseau of the Jura, as well as Mencilla and red Albarin. There are old plots, some 120 years old, planted before phylloxera.
Fran has took over an abandoned winery in 2014. It was originally used by a small cooperative of growers. His wine does not conform to the DO, as he bottles his wines in nearby Bierzo, and to be eligible for the DO, you must bottle within the DO. But you sense that Fran does not believe in following the rules. He complained that you may grow Chardonnay in the DO but you are not allowed to make a rosado from Carrasquin. He likes experimenting, and wandering round the cellar, we spotted a dame jeanne of Albarin with flor, as well as some Godello under flor, and an amphora for a trial of orange wine. He ferments mostly in stainless steel, with temperature control and there are some French barrels, old rather than new.
And then we settled down to some tasting. I like Fran’s labels. They depict the three tail feathers of the urogallo. For Fran the tipicity of Asturias is a high level of acidity, with some herbal notes and also salinity, as the vineyards are relatively close to the sea.
2023 Pet Nat, disgorged in 2025. Mainly from Albarin, with a little Albillo.
Quite golden in colour,. Softly frothy. Some hints of apple. Medium weight and fresh and dry on the finish.
BI – name of the range for which Fran buys the grapes. Mainly Albarin and Albillo.
2025 Light colour. Salty mineral notes on the palate. No wood. Satisfying texture. Good length. Mouth filling with a firm finish. A joli amer, as the French would say.
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2023 Ab-Al - in other words a blend of Albarin and Albillo.
In barrel for a year after fermentation in stainless steel. Some lees stirring in barrel, once a week for two to three months. And from Fran’s own grapes.
Golden colour. Some dry oak on the nose. Salty notes on the palate. More structured than the previous wine, with good weight and a firm note on the finish.
Fran used not to to anything with the unripe, green grapes, of a green harvest, but now he presses them. The juice is very green and very herbal with high acidity and very low sugar, and he uses it to blend with the regular harvest, which means that he can harvest later, if he so wishes. The juice is kept under vacuum and not fermented until harvest time. He learnt this technique from Pierre Overnoy in the Jura, observing that it can be risky, but it gives you good structure with acidity. It's the first time I have ever come across it.
2022 100AB100
In other words, 100% Albarin from a 100-year-old vineyard. Eighteen months in old demi-muids. Fran does not like new ones, and he wants structure, texture and acidity, all of which he has achieved. Light golden. A firm nose with some salty hints. Nice textured and quite a subtle nose and palate. Very good mouthful and very good acidity. It makes you salivate and want to taste or indeed drink more!
2022 MN Mencilla
Bought grapes, destemmed and fermented in stainless steel. The lees drop over the winter. Medium colour. Firm fresh red fruit with a streak of tannin. Mediumweight. A refreshing red that could be served lightly chilled.
2024 MN
Quite a light red colour, and brighter, younger than the previous wine. More fresh red fruit. Mediumweight. Some acidity as well as a streak of tannin. Again, it would be delicious served chilled.
2021 AL VN M
In other words, 40% each of Albarin Negro, and Verdejo Negro and 20% Mencilla. Kept for six to ten months in wood. Fran tries to co-ferment, depending on ripening times, but if not, the wine is blended a couple of months before bottling.
Medium colour. A fresh nose with red fruit and pepper, with appealing fresh fruit on the palate. A little more weight than the previous wines and a little more rounded with good length. Medium weight.
2023 AL VN M
A slightly lighter colour. Quite firm and peppery on the nose. Obviously younger and some red fruit on the palate. Strawberries. A streak of tannin and some acidity. Mediumweight. Very rounded very complete. Fran used some verjus from the green harvest in 2023, but none in 2021, which accounts for the difference in freshness. 2022 was the first year he tried that technique. It must not taste herbal and accounts for 15% of the total, at the most
Field Blend
All harvested together, red and white, including some Grenache Noir and Blanc. and maybe as much as 40% Mencilla. Co-fermented. Depending on what is ripe at the critical moment. Two years in wood. Several different plots. 20% maximum of white grapes
Medium colour. Red fruit. Some tannins with some spice and herbs. A note of saltiness on the nose. Refreshing red wine. A streak of tannin. Mediumwight. Lots of nuances.
Vintages in Asturias do not vary significantly in quality, but they might vary more in quantity. Fran tastes the grapes to decide on the harvest date.
2022 Blend of Mencilla and Carrasquin which gives colour and is ready to harvest in mid September. It has black fruit rather than red fruit. And is rounded and riper than the Mencilla with good tannins and weight, with a fresh finish and a lift on the finish. It was a lovely original note on which to finish. It was now time for a spot of lunch at a Spanish hour and the elegant courtyard of the Parador of El Monasterio de Corias welcomed us, but the cellars and shop were firmly closed.
Fran's wine are well represented on the export market. In England he sells to les caves de Pyrene. www.lescaves.co.uk
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