After taking stock of Gines Fernandez’s Mencia for the first time and with an interest in try something a little different, I decided to take home to try.
Due to its similarities, the Mencia variety was long thought to have been Spain’s cousin strain to Cabernet Franc, but recent DNA profiling has established the two are not linked. The grape is enjoying a gradual resurgence in popularity as young winemakers discover old vines and their potential to produce truly excellent wines, which is fuelling the development of a number of styles in this region. Some of the biggest examples see extended oak aging and need the best part of a decade to mature before reaching their prime. Others, like El Agosto, are made for near term drinking.
A dedicated and meticulous team hand harvest low yielding, old bush trained vines which are carefully cultivated on the hillsides of the sub region of Bierzo, in North West Spain. The grapes are fermented in small, plot specific tanks as they reach optimum maturity. Eight months in French oak has given backbone to this wine’s supple and delicious fruity quality. On the nose there is a display of soft plum and raspberry with a hint of mint. The palate takes on a burst of fruit, expressing a raspberry and blackberry compote with depth and somewhat grippy tannins.
Felix Milner
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