Gancedo Mencia 2022

Gancedo Mencia, El Bierzo, Leon, Spain, 2022

Grape: 100% Mencia, hand-harvested fruit from organic bush vines, fermented in stainless steel with malolactic and further ageing in French oak barrels

Winemaker Ignacio Alvarez Losada's Mencia has a cherry red colour with notes of fresh strawberry, wild berries, chocolate and coffee with a graphite minerality. Its passage through the mouth is bold and sharp, sweet and long, typical of the variety. A silky mouth, good aftertaste and ripe tannins, increasing the structure and balance of the wine.

Based in the small town of Quilos in the north-west corner of the province of Leon, the bodega works with fruit from 60 - 100 year vines grown on 60ha of high altitude vineyards.

"The eponymous red 2022 Gancedo is a juicy and primary Mencía that was selected from old vines that are now certified organic. It has medium ripeness, moderate alcohol and a medium-bodied palate with fine tannins and a soft mouthfeel. It's clean and varietal, with a long, dry finish. Very good in the category. It was bottled after four months in French oak barrels."

90/100 points, Luis Gutierrez, WINE ADVOCATE, August 2023

Pair with meats and cheeses. Also for rice and pasta dishes.