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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.6 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 36 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by RKatzDO on 11/8/2022 & rated 91 points: Still very strong. Acid is keeping the structure well balanced. Still some deep fruit in the mix. Definitely needs some food but quite nice (231 views) | | | Tasted by elevwine on 7/23/2020 & rated 93 points: Still every bit as good as the first bottle. Well made, great structure, complex enough to make you want to try more Mencia wines. (547 views) | | | Tasted by elevwine on 2/1/2020 & rated 93 points: Drink up. Window closing. But still a wonderful wine. (591 views) | | | Tasted by cweiner on 11/21/2019 & rated 90 points: Straight forward Mencia. Still drinking well. (647 views) | | | Tasted by elevwine on 11/15/2019: Still very good wine but has imho passed its peak. Will drink remaining bottles soon. (620 views) | | | Tasted by cweiner on 8/20/2018 & rated 92 points: First bottle- a little late to the starting line but still drinking well- better after a decant. (811 views) | | | Tasted by elevwine on 4/11/2018 & rated 93 points: Really a wonderful wine and an incredible value. Complex flavors including plum, rich cherry, eucalyptus, spice (maybe a bit of nutmeg), green pepper and leather. Creamy mouthfeel, well-balanced with long finish. Good structure with firm tannins still in place. I would extend the drinking window a few years, though drinking perfectly right now. (839 views) | | | Tasted by cruzio32 on 4/5/2018 flawed bottle: cork taint (662 views) | | | Tasted by cruzio32 on 3/13/2018 & rated 91 points: best after 1 hr decant. sediment. superb. buy more (635 views) | | | Tasted by bushrandall on 3/8/2017: Love this. Black cherry, bing cherry, stale pipe tobacco. Smooth texture, with a little bit of cut to finish. Classy, considerate, giving wine. This is what a Cali PN tastes like in my dreams. Will buy more. (1202 views) | | | Tasted by IlonaN on 8/3/2016 & rated 90 points: First place in a flight of Mencia at our tasting. Shows nice leather, pepper and dense fruit on a medium bodied frame. Acidity and rounded tannins indicate it may continue to age well. (1368 views) | | | Tasted by t-sama on 6/2/2016 & rated 91 points: A really good value. Pepper and leather balanced with a nice amount of fruit. (1414 views) | | | Tasted by WAwineguy on 1/4/2016 & rated 91 points: Ripe but not overly so, with definite cedar/vanilla oak influence. Great structure with balanced fruit like black cherries and plum. Moderately dark color. Great wine either with food or on it's own. Great QPR - a $20 wine that stands up with much more expensive alternatives. Should have bought more. Drank with pork tenderloin but I would drink by itself, with pizza or... very friendly. (1837 views) | | | Tasted by danielbleier on 1/28/2015 & rated 90 points: Enjoyable. Earthy notes balanced against black cherry, plum and pomegranate. Held up well over 3 days (2911 views) | | | Tasted by DaveZack on 12/18/2014 & rated 93 points: I bought three of these bottles for $21.99/bottle from WinesTilSoldOut (wtso.com) in April 2014 based on our previous experience with the 2007 vintage (which Arthur and I both gave 93 points) as well as accolades from wtso.com’s add for this wine (Luis Guiterrez from The Wine Advocate scored this bottle 92 points).
Wow, this is a consistently fabulous wine. I gave the 2007 vintage 93 points and I’m also giving the 2010 vintage 93 points as well. The bouquet reveals dark fruit, lots of spices and herbs, with a hint/suggestion of oak and earth.
Sure enough, this is one delicious wine (especially at $21.99 a bottle). It pours quite dark (almost like a Syrah or Petit Sirah) and exhibits an abundance of black fruits like plums, blackberries, and black cherries, along with some secondary red fruits. There’s also a mountain of dried herbs and spices, especially black pepper, rosemary, and thyme. The wine is rich, creamy, slightly oaky and earthy, along with incredible structure (smooth and slightly gritty tannins along with a PERFECT amount of acidity, making this wine perfectly food-friendly). There’s a slight essence of black licorice in the background, along with a hint of a rumor of a suggestion of a saline quality as well.
I paired this wine with simple homemade hamburgers smothered in sautéed/herbed onions and mushrooms. This beauty paired nicely with the burgers but would pair even better with a top-notch steak that’s beautifully spiced and grilled to perfection. This wine is (obviously) drinking VERY well right now but based on its structure, this wine will be even better in another 2 to 20 years. In actuality, I think this wine could easily last until 2035, not that I have the patience/will to sit on our other two bottles that long (it’s just WAY too delicious to sit around for another 15 years). If you subscribe to wtso.com’s daily e-mails, I would buy a case of this wine if/when they ever offer other vintages of this gorgeous, rich, deeply-flavored, complex, food-friendly wine. At $21.99/bottle, this is one of the best red wines on the planet on a price-to-quality ratio in my opinion. (2368 views) | | | Tasted by Riprussell on 5/25/2014 & rated 92 points: Deep, complex and vibrant. Notes of pepper and leather. Decanted for 1.5 hours. Delicious. (3198 views) | | | Tasted by BklynNeophyte on 4/28/2014 & rated 92 points: Very wonderful as a young wine and my experience seems to indicate that I like mencia on the younger side. Complex and a treat. (2657 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Bodega del Abad Producer websiteMencíaMencia is grown in the Northwestern region of Spain near the borders of Galicia, Leon, and Zamora. Mencia produces fruity wines of great color, acidity and aging potential. It is sweet and aromatic, with a good dose of alcohol. The vines produce medium-sized clusters and fruit.
The reds made from Mencia have a characteristic velvety palate. Traditional reds are pale, fragrant and light wines. Modern winemakers are creating bolder reds, of higher concentration, expressing Mencia’s aromas and freshness. Many wineries are taking advantage of the variety ability to aging.
Rose wines are aromatic and fruity, lively, light and soft.Spain Vinos de España - Wines of Spain (Instituto Español de Comercio Exterior) | Wikipedia
Wine Map on weinlagen-info
Spain is the third largest wine producing nation in the world, occupying the majority of the Iberian Peninsula with vast diversity in climate, culture, and of course, wine. From inky, dark reds of the [Priorat] to dry, white Finos from Andalusia, Spain can easily boast of elaborating a wide variety of notable styles. Within Spain there are currently 62 demarcated wine regions, of which a handful have gained international recognition: [Rioja], Priorat and [Ribera del Duero]. Yet these regions are only a small sample of the high quality wines Spain produces. Regions such as Cava, Penedes, Somontano, Galicia, Rueda and Jerez are only a few of the numerous regions worthy of exploration throughout Spain. Spain can also lay claim to having the most land under vine in the world, growing up to, by some accounts, 600 indigenous varietals of which Tempranillo is their most well known. Other popular varietals include [Garnacha], Bobal and Monastrell for reds and for whites; the infamous [sic] Palomino Fino grape which is used in the production of sherry wine, Pedro Ximenez in Montilla Morilles, Albarino used in the creation of the bright, effervescent wines of Galicia, and Verdejo in Rueda. - Source: - Catavino.net
Spain is not in the forefront of winemaking for its dessert wines, other than for its sweet wines from Sherry country including the highly revered Olorosos (when sweetened). But apart from Sherry Spain has a range of styles of dessert wines, ranging from the those made from the Pedro Ximenez grape primarily in Jerez and Montilla-Moriles) to luscious, red dessert wines made in the Mediterranean from the Garnacha (Grenache) grape. Some good Moscatels are made in Mallorca, Alicante and Navarre. The northwest corner of Spain, Galicia, with its bitter Atlantic climate, is even making dessert wines, called “Tostadillos” in the village of Ribadivia (similar to France’s “Vin de Paille”). The Canary Islands have made interesting dessert wines for centuries (they are mentioned by Shakespeare, for example) and in recent years the quality of winemaking has been improved and the Canary Islands wines are being better marketed now. The winemaking styles for “Vinos Dulces” are also diverse, from “Late Harvest” (Vendimia Tardía) to “Fortified Wines” (Fermentación Parcial). Based on in-spain.info.Castilla y León Castilla y León Wine (Turismo Castilla y León )Bierzo[[D.O.]] Bierzo is located on the western edge of the province of [[León]], next to the [[Galicia|Galician]] border. The region has a distinct microclimate, being at relatively low altitude and protected on both sides by mountains, marking a transition between the arid [[meseta]] and verdant Galicia.
The Santiago de Compostela pilgrim route passes directly through the region and the predominant red grape, [[Mencía]], was allegedly introduced by pilgrims. Mencía makes up 70% of planting and many wines are 100% Mencía. [[Garnacha Tintorera]] is the secondary red grape, although there are also experimental plantings of other varieties, including [[Merlot]] and [[Cabernet Sauvignon]]. Whites may contain [[Godello]], [[Doña Blanca]], [[Palomino]] and [[Malvasia]].
Bierzo produces much inexpensive bulk table wine but an influx of smaller bodegas around the turn of the millenium are producing modern-styled wines attracting international critical acclaim.
Consejo Regulador de la Denominación de Origen Bierzo |
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