In Argentina, aging wine in oak is incredibly common. Mauricio Lorca is a pioneer in the production of unoaked premium wines with the avant-garde mindset to bottle what nature provides alongside modern vineyard management. In his youth, he worked at Finca La Celia and suggested to produce Cabernet Franc, to which the winery rejected. He decided to create it on his own, and it was so highly praised that one Swiss importer purchased the entire lot. This experience drove Lorca to create wineries of his own.
In 2017, Lorca fell in love with Ribeira Sacra in Galicia, Spain which led him to establish two wineries in this region. He embraced the challenge of planting vines in an arduous terroir with the confidence that he can produce top quality wine. Lorca’s vineyard area is so steep that most of the work is done by hand with limited usage of machinery. Although tedious, these steep slopes aid in growing top quality grapes due to ideal drainage, the cooling effect that retains acidity, increased light interception and the minimalization of pests and diseases.
Other factors in the vineyard are the nearby rivers Sil and Mino which aid in frost reduction, ripening with the reflected light onto the grape, and the extension of the growing season with their moderating effects. The nutrient-poor slate soils that exist in his vineyards also assist in the production of top-quality grapes.
The quality of Mauricio Lorca’s wines stands out. His numerous awards for his Spanish wines have secured his worldwide recognition. Among the many awards are the Best of Spain Wine Challenge. Mauricio Lorca’s wines have received gold and the much coveted “Grand Gold” awards at the Best of Spain Wine Challenge in the Netherlands, and silver and gold in the Best of Spain Wine Challenge in Ireland. The Guía Peñín wine guide also awarded two of Lorca’s Spanish wines with 90 points in 2023. It is clear how Mauricio Lorca and his team’s hard work and perseverance has paid off.
Interested in trying out C314’s selection of Spanish wines from Mauricio Lorca? Try the Viñas de Belesar Historias Pasajeras Memorias Tinto Barrica, Castilla y León, 2022 or the Coups de Coeur Viñas de Belesar Camino Empedrado de Mauricio Lorca Tinto, Ribeira Sacra.
By Seema Pal, dipWSET, CAPS Sommelier