Wednesday, 30 May 2012

A Mencia from Bierzo



Mencia is an indigenous grape of Bierzo, where it is making wines that have elevated the status of that DO. I had tried Bierzo a couple of years ago at the Wine Fair, and I am sure I have seen this offering from Descendientes de J Palacios in the shops before. However when I tried to but it, it was unfortunately sold out. Formerly producing light pale fragrant wines for early consumption, renewed interest in the grape occurred when the yojnger generation of winemakers produced more concentrated and complex wines from old vines growing on hillsides (often on schist soils). The samples I had tasted at the 2010 Wine Fair were rich in colour with different layers to both nose and palate, and acid and tannins on the finish.

As for this wine (which I drank at the recent Spanish KCCWS dinner), it was ruby coloured with a cherry berry nose. The fragrant cherry notes extended to the palate which was also marked with tannins. There was quite a bit of astringency at swallowing which extended right to the finish but the cherry notes persisted throughout.

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