Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The first Mencía I tasted from Argentina is the 2016 Doña Mencía de los Andes, from a young vineyard in Chacayes. It fermented destemmed in concrete eggs and matured in used oak barrels for one and a half years. It follows the house style of pale and ethereal reds with a medium body and great energy and elegance. It's very drinkable, with very fine tannins, very good freshness and no oak whatsoever. Somehow, the wine has 13.2% alcohol and an incredible seven grams of acidity (tartaric), perhaps from being planted at 1,100 meters in altitude, and it has more acidity than the majority of wines produced with the grape in Spain. It also seems to be more elegant and perfumed.
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.
With a winning combination of cool weather, high elevation and well-draining alluvial soils, it is no surprise that Mendoza’s Uco Valley is one of the most exciting up-and-coming wine regions in Argentina. Healthy, easy-to-manage vines produce low yields of high-quality fruit, which in turn create flavorful, full-bodied wines with generous acidity.
This is the source of some of the best Malbec in Mendoza, which can range from value-priced to ultra-premium. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay also perform well here.