Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Old-vine Meníca from one of Bierzo's top producers, this is an intense wine with a mineral, earthy nose and lashings of spice, while the palate is dominated by red fruit complemented by a hint of liquorice.
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Wine Enthusiast
Earthy and deep smelling, this Mencía is full, layered and nicely textured on the palate. As for flavors, look for equal parts dark fruit, toast, smoke and herb. Things dry out and fade on the finish.
Spanish red wine is known for being bold, heady, rustic and age-worthy, Spain is truly a one-of-a-kind wine-producing nation. A great majority of the country is hot, arid and drought-ridden, and since irrigation has only been recently introduced and (controversially) accepted, viticulture has sustained—and flourished—only through a great understanding of Spain’s particular conditions. Large spacing between vines allows each enough resources to survive and as a result, the country has the most acreage under vine compared to any other country, but is usually third in production.
Of the Spanish red wines, the most planted and respected grape variety is Tempranillo, the star of Spain’s Rioja and Ribera del Duero regions. Priorat specializes in bold red blends, Jumilla has gained global recognition for its single varietal Monastrell and Utiel-Requena has garnered recent attention for its reds made of Bobal.