Mengoba Mencía Alicante Bouschet 2020

Mengoba Mencía Alicante Bouschet is a Bierzo red drawn from old field-blend plantings, white grapes included.

Bierzo sits in a sheltered bowl in the north-west of Castilla y León, on the road to Galicia, and its old vineyards are typically small, hand-worked and mixed. Grégory Pérez, a Bordeaux-trained winemaker who settled here, works a number of these parcels. This bottling blends Mencía with Alicante Bouschet and a proportion of the white varieties that grow among the vines in his old plots, an arrangement he keeps rather than sorts out. The Mencía comes from the slate-rich Espanillo vineyard at 700 metres, where the average vine age is around 80 years. The fruit is fermented with wild yeasts, with about 20% whole bunches, in 5,000-litre oak vats and then matured for sixteen months before bottling, so the oak acts as a container rather than a flavour.

Drinkable now and good for five or six years, it suits grilled meats, chorizo and roast peppers, or a plate of cured ham. Serve at 16–18°C.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.