| 92 |
Wine Review Online |
I fell in love with this wine instantly. That may not be entirely surprising to those who know me, as I’ve probably written more about the Mencia grape than anyone based in the USA. However, I also showed it to two different groups of people at dinner parties, and everyone else loved it immediately too. For a wine that is just one year off the vine, it shows lots of juicy, primary fruit; and though it seems obvious that it would be assertively fruity at this early stage, the remarkable thing is that the fruit isn’t “obvious” in its character, but actually quite layered and interesting. It shows fresh, sweet-seeming tones, but also wonderful bright acidity, and these sensory signals are woven together by subtle savory notes that really provide an excellent sense of integration and completeness that is utterly unexpected in a wine of such youth. As a final testament to this wine’s captivating powers, a friend from one of the dinner parties--who had never heard of nor tasted Mencia before--showed up un-announced at our door the following evening, having just driven to a wine shop to find another rendition. She demanded that we open it immediately to try it--and it turned out to be Finca la Cuesta Mencia from Bierzo’s Luna Beberide (also imported by Aurelio Cabestrero). One more convert to Mencia! |
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| 92 |
Wine Review Online |
A tangy mélange of cherries, ripe fig, and pomegranate distinguish this charming red from Spain. A tug of both stony minerality and cedary oak contributes to the complexity, and the way the sleek, medium-weight body glides to a mellow finish lightly dusted with tannins is another reason to recommend it. |
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| 92 |
View from the Cellar |
The 2013 Adrás Mencía from Isaac Fernandez is outstanding. It is produced from classically terraced, fifty year-old vineyards towering up from the Miño River and spent five months in a mixture of new and old casks prior to bottling. The bouquet is deep, pure and very refined in its mélange of cassis, pomegranate, graphite, espresso, slate, cigar smoke, hints of the meatiness to come and a discreet touch of cedar. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and transparent, with a lovely core of fruit, bright acids, moderate tannins and excellent focus and grip on the complex and perfectly balanced, intensely flavored and impressively long finish. This is lovely juice. 2015-2035+. |
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| 90 |
Wine & Spirits Magazine |
With slate scents and a burst of ripe red fruit, this Mencia is pure in its varietal expression. Soft in texture, it glides into the finish with grace and agility, leaving a light sense of sweetness and spicy complexity. |
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| 90 |
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar |
Brilliant ruby-red. High-pitched red and dark berry aromas, along with a minerally element and a suave floral overtone. Offers fresh black raspberry and cherry flavors complemented by suggestions of smoky minerals, anise and sweet vanilla. Supple tannins shape the finish, which leaves gentle oak spice and candied rose notes behind. |
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Maker's Table |
Fruity, not too serious, good for tapas
This varietal Mencía was grown on fifty-year-old vines in decomposed slate and granite soils. The wine fermented with ambient yeast and was aged for five months in oak barrels.
It’s a friendly wine, a little black-peppery but its soft raspberry and cherry fruit drive the style. The tannins are very modest although the oak feels appropriate. While I’d appreciate a little more nerve and acid the pepper kicks in again at the end, underscoring its suede-like tannins.
Good for snacks. |
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Adras Mencia 2013
