Dominio de Tares Mencia Baltos 2012
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Decanter
Young, direct and plump – this is Mencía as a teenager, with just six months of oak. 2012 was a fresh vintage, but there’s plenty of ripeness here, with an overlay of spice.
Other Vintages
2011-
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Wine
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Wine - Decanter
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Parker
Robert
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Spirits
Wine &
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Parker
Robert
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Parker
Robert
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Spirits
Wine & -
Enthusiast
Wine
Primarily found in the Bierzo, Ribeira Sacra and Valdeorras regions of Spain and in the Dão of Portugal (where it is called Jaen), Mencia is an early ripening, low acid grape that can produce wines of great concentration, complexity and ageability. And yet Mencia once suffered from a poor reputation and deemed capable of producing simple and light red wines. Post-phylloxera growers would grow this variety on low, fertile plains, which produced high yields and uncomplicated finished wines. Somm Secret—The recent rediscovery of the ancient, abandoned vines planted on rugged hillsides of deep schist has unveiled the potential of Mencia and added discredit to its old reputation.
One of the few northwestern Spanish regions with a focus on a red variety, Bierzo, part of Castilla y León, is home to the flowery and fruity Mencia grape. Mencia produces balanced and bright red wines full of strawberry, raspberry, pomegranate, baking spice, pepper and black licorice. The well-drained soils of Bierzo are slate and granite.