Conasbrancas

For a while now the question, “Conas brancas?” or what to do about the whites, has been kicked around at Fedellos do Couto. Seeing that the hillside vineyards in the Val do Bibei, which are the source for their Lomba dos Ares, are not only planted with a range of red varieties but include a not insignificant percentage of white varieties as well. Too much to blend in with the reds, but not quite enough to bottle commercially. Finally, after several years of bringing these vines back to life, there is enough fruit to answer the question about the whites: Conasbrancas. Like Lomba dos Ares, Consabrancas is a co-fermented field blend but with Dona Blanca, Godello, Albariño, Treixadura, Lado & Torrontes. Close to three-quarters of the blend is fermented and macerated on the skins for 40 days. The remainder (almost entirely Godello) is directly pressed into neutral French oak barrels for fermentation and aging.