Paco & Lola Mencia (Rias Biaxas 2019)

2019 PACO Mencía

100% Mencía - D.O. Valdeorras

A young wine born on the banks of the Sil river. It is full of fruits and flowers and perfectly represents the Mencía grape.
D.O. Valdeorras:

Known for its wines in classical times, Valdeorras has made huge strides in re-
covering its native grapes - in particular, Godello, and Mencía
- in the last thirty years and in making distinctive varietal wines from them.

The Grape: Mencía (spanishwineexperience.es)
• For a long time these medium-sized red wonders were thought to have been related to
Cabernet Franc – but DNA profiling has proven this not to be true.
• In fact it appears to be one of our native varieties, although possibly introduced by the Romans.
• It is identical to Portugal’s grape Jaen.
• It’s also locally known, as always it seems in this country, by other names: Loureiro Tinto, Negra,
Negro, Tinto Mollar. But I’ve never seen these, so just stick with Mencía!
• The grapes are high in sugar and have good acidity.
• The grapes have recently been enjoying a huge revival Spain – look up wine heroes Alvaro
Palacios and Telmo Rodriguez – with winemakers rediscovering old, low-yielding hillside plots of Mencía.
• Generally the grape grows, and grows best, on schisty hillsides which, along with the low-yield, helps give intensity to the resulting wines.
• Mencía is occasionally blended with other local varieties of the area: Sousón, Caíño
Tinto, Brencellao, Merenzao.

Food pairing: Perfect with fish, meats and cheeses.

Tasting notes:
Appearance: Intense cherry color, medium to high core with a violet border.
Nose: Intense aromas expressing red fruits, forest fruit jam, floral notes and a balsamic finish.
Palate: The palate is elegant, fresh and fruity, with a balsamic and mineral finish. There is a good balance of alcohol and acidity. The vineyards have an average age of between 13 and 19 years and are cultivated on sandy-loam soils of granite origin.