Winemaker Notes
Whole cluster fermentation in large oak vat. Aged 12 months in 225L French barrels. 1980 bottles produced
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 La Vizcaína La Vitoriana is Raúl Pérez's favorite vineyard in the Vizcaína project, one of the oldest vineyards in the family. It shows perfectly ripe red fruit, zero oak and very good freshness. The palate feels very compact and balanced, fine and elegant, with fresh, almost citric acidity and great length. Some 4,000-4,500 bottles are produced depending on the vintage.
-
Wine Spectator
Fresh and energetic, this light red bursts with cherry, berry, mountain herb and mineral flavors. Light tannins and lively acidity lend focus. Vibrant and expressive. Drink now through 2023.
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.