Bodega de Forlong "80/20" Orange, Andalucía, Spain 2023

FROM LA LUZ SELECTIONS:

THE WINE: 100% Palomino soaked on PX skins. 80/20 comes from a pure Palomino plot of 40-50 years old vines named ‘Plantalina’ in Balbaína Alta. This vibrant vineyard has been farmed organically for more than 15 years and is of great quality. Hand harvested, organic fruit from Plantalina plot in the Balbaína Alta vineyard. Upon arriving to the winery, the grapes are immersed into a cold refrigerator at 40° F for up to 48 hours. Next, the grapes are again hand selected for the best quality and then head to the de-stemmer and pressed to must. Next the tinajas are filled with the pressed PX used for another wine and the Palomino must is poured on top to soak the PX skins in the amphora with one pump over each day. After 35 days, the wine is racked off the skins and begins the malolactic fermentation. This wine spends 12 months resting on the fine lees in red clay tinajas.

Truly never tasted an orange wine like this. A delicate peach hue leads to floral aromas of hibiscus, rose, and geraniums with goregous lychee and exotic pear following through on the palate. This stunner is lacy and racy with beautiful acidity and a zesty finish. There is a purity, elegance and structure with an exciting and freshly attractive grip. This is a wine for lovers of adventure.

THE PRODUCER: Bodega de Forlong is the classic utopian story of love at first sight: love of the land, of the return to traditions, love of the natural elements and an overall profound admiration and respect for the environment. Alejandro Naváerez y Rocío Áspera are natives of El Puerto de Santa Maria, old classmates who became friends turned lovers turned business partners and dreamcatchers.

Alex and Rocío released their first wines in 2012 which were their red Merlot, Syrah and Tintilla de Rota cépage, as well as a Palomino and Pedro Ximenez white wine. Yet it wasn’t until 2014 when they completed the construction of their tiny bodega that they exclusively cared for their grapes from their vineyards to the bottling at their winery. Elated by the promise of what they tasted and experienced, the pair quickly adorned the new bodega with their 2,000 Liter clay amphora and barrels from Smith Haut Lafitte and began to produce their beloved Petite Forlong. Today, their catalog of playful, Certified Organic, biodynamically influenced, natural wines made with love from El Puerto de Santa Maria, Andalucía is a colorful array of Andalucian expression.