Purchased as a cellar-defender candidate from Rimi in Rīga, on promotion at €8.39, down from €13.99. It is adorned with a shiny silver ''Selection by Rimi'' sticker, so it might become a regular line for the trader.
Medium ruby. As well spotted and remarked by another taster this year, the nose initially bears a similarity to gamay. The nose suggests decent ripeness of straight-forward blueberry-like fruit, but after an hour it gains complexity. Dark cherry and damson plum take centre stage, with green herbs, leather, animal fur and malt extract each making brief appearances on the wings. Over the 2nd hour, some intermittent charred notes emerge, which - if I hadn't looked at the producer's fact sheet for the wine - would have made me think that this had come in contact with toasty American oak. (Maybe the indigenous yeasts bring out this nuance? Maybe some of the grapes got sunburnt?)
The palate doesn't show any wood, however, and seems to be denser than a gamay would be. Properly concentrated crunchy berry, but while it's faultlessly balanced, up to the first hour it's not showing the features that brought on the gushing reviews from Decanter and Tamlyn Currin from Jancis Robinson's site. It would be unfair to omit the admission that both of these reviews were in 2021, so I strongly suspected over that first hour - especially given the wine is closed by a Diam 1 grade cork - that the Matilda Nieves mencia is best enjoyed as young as possible and that I'd simply missed the boat. Yet afterwards, it gains weight, a silky texture, concentration and a delicious sweetness just before the crunchy finish. Harvested by hand and clearly made with care, this is very good plus and a great cellar defender. I expect fans of nebbiolo and pinot noir would enjoy this.
Good wine, excellent QPR at $11 or so. Fairly basic profile, nice balance of fruit, mineral and tannin. I think I'll go up the price/quality scale for general purpose wine, but a great choice for a party.
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Great value. On the lighter, juicier side. Reminds me of Gamay. Tart red cherry, red licorice, juice berry candy and leather. Mellow tannins, bright and persistent acidity. Addition of tart cranberry on the palate. Fun wine. Would buy again.
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Deep purple colour Lots of small bubbles when first poured.
First sniff has aromas of cola, yeast, bubblegum (carbonic-mac-aromas), which Anna described as ”julmust”.
The nose is dense at first, where I also immediately found reductive aromas such as cabbage, sweaty-meaty (and a slightly moldy-woody nose), so both these clusters makes for a very fresh wine in need of aeration.
Other aromas are blackberry, black pepper, dark raspberry/plum & nutmeg.
Palate shows medium (+) acidity, medium (chewy) tannins, medium body and medium alcohol. The chewiness of the tannins are really something else, which gives it a great texture, longevity and character. Or, as I wrote: ”Great structure with a chewy & fresh feel!”. Finish is black pepper, dry licorice and old oak.
Great value and a bargain, especially if you apart from nose/taste also look at how interesting, nuanced and a conversation starter this wine is!
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Medium ruby in color; cherries, dried herbs, and black plums on the nose; high acidity; medium tannins; tastes like pomegranates, tart cherries, and crushed gravel with a long fruity finish. Nellie says it's too tart for her tastes. I love it!
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Nice but a bit heavy and cumbersome. Lots of savory notes mixed with grapey grape. Decent QPR (around $14) but lots of more interesting Mencia stuff out there.
Still trying to get my head around the high Decanter score.
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I was a little worried when I saw that Mencia was listed far more prominently than Ribiera Sacra on the label. That seems like the Iberian equivalent of putting Pinot Noir on the center of a bottle from Pommard. The Diam1 cork didn’t help with my trepidation.
Still, the wine was decent. Red fruits are the main theme with light tannins. Stylistically similar to a cross of Beaujolais and Cotes Du Rhone. Nice for short term drinking.
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Deep ruby in color; cherries, dried herbs, and cranberries on the nose; intense acidity; medium minus tannins, but very smooth; tastes like Iike sour cherries, crushed gravel, and pomegranate.
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Purple rim, medium ruby red with blue tint. Bright cherry, plum, vanilla and wet forest. Light-medium to medium bodied, medium-high acidity, medium-high tannin, and medium alcohol.. Medium finish. Not much finesse, but excellent food wine at excellent value price.
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There’s a slight bit of funk on the nose, but also sappy blackberry, wet stones and spice. Primary and grapey on the palate, this retains an element of elegance and is quite tasty. Drink: the sooner the better 88
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Bottle an excessive 1399g. Moderately intense aromas of tomato skin, mint and green herbs, smoke, clay, and dark fruit behind. Dry, with moderate to elevated fresh acidity, moderate drying tannins, medium-bodied, 13% abv. Not much flesh or fruit on the palate. Saline finish. Comes across like a modest Loire cab franc.
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4 days later, it is finally hitting on all cylinders. Blue fruits and herbal notes all day. A riper Mencia. Either hold for a couple of years or decant vigorously and hours ahead.
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Very good price-quality! Hands full of solid fruit and nice herbal notes. Mencia offers high drinkability in this version - uplifting and sympathetic. Will buy again.
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I liked this. Wasn't able to focus on the wine as I'd have liked to, but it was interesting and really grew as I drank. Great with food. Will buy again.
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A new wine for us from Galicia. Deep hues, dusty nose of black fruits, good balance of bright acidity, fresh fruit, and very mild tannins. Worked very well with a fideos/pork casserole.
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Juicy fruit flavors of strawberry, black cherry, and blackberry dominate this medium-bodied rose, herb, and crushed stone flavored wine from Galicia's inland Ribeira Sacra area. Fresh acidity ties together the fruit and upper cheek-coating tannins.
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Retasting this--see my note of September 21, 2022 for a full account--I would add hints of mint and of candied orange peel toward the end of the aftertaste to my earlier description.
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Un nez discret de moka, de fruits rouges ainsi que de notes florales. Les tannins sont poussiéreux et bien intégrés. Souple, mi-corsé aux saveurs de fruits confits. Longue finale sur des notes de torréfaction. Excellent RQP (CA$19 LCBO). 90+
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Trying a Mencia from Ribeira Sacra. Their website lists this as 100% Mencia while some have the principle varietal counting for 85% of the blend and the rest being Garnacha Tintorera (8%) and Sousao (7%.) This supposedly won a "Best of Show" award from Decanter which doesn't mean much to me, however I love Mencia so I'm curious to see if this inexpensive ($19 CAD) example of Ribeira Sacra is worth the price of admission.
Color: Deep, clear ruby Nose: Medium intensity, notes of black plums, cloudberries, cranberries, thistle, damp earth and birchwood Palate: Medium intensity, light tannin, notes of soft dark forest berries, plum, black cherry, pine needles and damp forest floor Finish: Medium plus acid, medium minus intensity, lingering damp earth and forest berry fruitiness
Overall for the money this is a steal of a wine. Its well composed yet decently complex showing some great finesse and mouthfeel. I'll definitely be buying a few for the holidays to share with friends!
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Composite cork. Decanted around 20 minutes. Nice floral, mainly red fruit on the nose. Lighter to medium body, fresh and lively palate with gentle spices. Great easy drinking everyday wine at a great QBR. I bought 4x more bottles.
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An explosion of mixed herbs, blackberries, and minerals (immediately after opening there was a faint unpleasant metallic note, but that vanished in just a minute), with a vivid and extremely long aftertaste. Nice acidity. Distinctly Mediterranean. Freshness is everything here--I personally wouldn't even think of aging this (or decanting)--it's all about wildly immediate fresh fruit. Only for those who enjoy very young wines, but if you do, this is an amazing pleasure. Closed with a Diam cork. (Tasted over the course of an hour, from the Jancis Robinson glass.)
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B says buy again, cherry raspberry menthol on the nose, fruit forward medium body, muted tannins, mid-palate shows tart red fruit and yogurt, finish with black tea and cola, had with smoked gouda, 13% abv
Bottle 1392g. Moderately intense aromas of dried cherry, dried blueberry, slightly lifted, yogurt; dry, with moderate acidity and modest tannins—flabby by mencia standards—darker fruit on the palate, and savory. Medium bodied, 13°. Crowd-pleaser up front, but short on structure and ageability.
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Clean. Medium(+) intensity with aroma of raspberry coulis dust yogurt anise lavender and plum.
Dry. Medium(+) acidity. Medium alcohol. Medium tannins. Medium body. Medium intensity with flavour of raspberry beets black tea red currant orange rind and cola.
Medium(+) finish with black tea and cherry skin grip. Very good. Drink now and over the next five years. Lovely wine with suitable complexity that builds over time. Great alternative to basic Bourgogne even if over-scored by Decanter. Getting some more.
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No decanting, which could be a mistake. Maybe give it 1-2 hours.
The nose: Smoke, tomato, lots of red berries. A little oak at the end and perhaps a little basil to finish with.
The palate: A ball of red fruit. So f-delicious. Strawberry, blackberry, blackcurrant, raspberry, so great. just simply fruit and a shit load of it. What's not to like!?! Oak is very little to none Spices is very little to none
Tannin low Acidity medium- Body medium-
Really really great wine. If people don't like it or find it odd, you gotta put in mind, that this is not the normal Ribera or Rioja style - Its not heavy, not full body and not complex. This one is light, elegant and fruity, which is so great.
Its great to sit on the balcony a hot summer day, and drink this. i'm not sure if its going to benefit from a cellaring, maybe from a decanting, but not much, 1 hour max.
Delicious to sniff, delicious to drink, I'm a fan 99 points.
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Frisk og lækker Mencia. Helt lilla i farven. Relativ lukket næse og lidt funky med nogen gær, røde kirsebær, ribs. I munden er vinen frisk og lækker læskende. Røde kirsebær, lidt sød amaretto, stikkelsbær og en fin mellemlang eftersmag med nogle tanniner. En god syre, men på ingen måde en sur sag. Friskt og lækkert - lige til terrassen og en god grillet laks.
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Very good but not great, had some old world nose but lacks some depth. Some acidity on the mid palate but falls apart just a touch. 3rd pour seemed the best so maybe a little time will do this good. Started getting more pepper and beef broth notes. Has some great nuances but fails to completely bring it all together. That said it’s only $15 and is perfectly fine for a mid-week sipper. 88-90
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A little barnyard/dirty nose with animalistic notes of sour cream. There is a salty/smokey note that reminds me of dried salty beef jerky. The fruit is dark but light - black berries, black cherries, boysenberry etc… The taste is juicy yet savory with notes of pepper. I like this wine for its funky style paired with its easy drinkability, but it’s definitely not a crowd pleaser like a Beaujolais… so be warned :-)
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No, this Mencia was not my style. Dark ruby in the glass. Nose is dominated by ripe black berries, mix of cranberries/lingonberries, dust, green notes. Palate, medium+-bodied, showcases same black berries, fine tannins, no proper acidity, dust. Somewhat cooked mouthfeel, no grip or proper structure. Sultry, dreary feeling throughout.
Wow, this was surprising. Deep purple color with nose of raspberries and strawberries, along with pepper, sage, cocoa, oregano. Dusty tannins and bright acidity with tangy but saucy cherry fruit. Complex notes of spiced tea raspberry leaf, black pepper, paprika. Super fun and quite a lot going on for a wine at this price point. Mencia is so fun, and this is a nice value for less than $20.
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Bottle 1394g. Moderately intense aromas of red fruit, tobacco, raw meat, tomato skin. Dry, with moderate acidity, moderate levels of fine-grained tannins, medium-bodied, 13°. Dense red and black fruit on the palate, a lot of power for its weight. Hopefully the odd aromas will change with exposure to air, because otherwise it's a convincing mouthful.
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This was a fun find. Lots of refreshing (almost natural-wine like) acidity, darker fruits, interesting nose of herbs and oak-spice, subtle hints of brett and VA. Not a lot of depth and actually a little sweet-ish on the finish, but I think a few months to a year in the cellar should sort this wine out a bit. A lighter, refreshing kind of wine for sure, and excellent value if you like this style.
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N...simple ripe red/black fruit; but short, no intensity. Almost boring.
C....deep red, looks young with heavy body.
T....almost inky mouth-feel; lovely ripe fruit balanced with decent acidity; a slight tannic flour; some length, some silky texture; juicy and pleasent; enough power here to cellar for a couple of years but it feels it should be drunk 'young and fun.'
No real mineral profile or proper complexity, just a very well-made Quaffer of quality. Feels like a classy Beaujolais, has enough power to be chilled for a summer lunch. Because it's Nose is so boring why bother with proper wine glasses? Shallow cafe classes should do.
VFM?.....worth every penny of £14.00, and more; good VFM/QPR.
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Delicious uncomplicated but beautifully made wine. Simple ripe fruit with acidity and structure for balance. Very easy to drink. Attractive sweet and sour note. Will buy more. Excellent QPR
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4/23/2024 - Ingmars wrote:
Purchased as a cellar-defender candidate from Rimi in Rīga, on promotion at €8.39, down from €13.99. It is adorned with a shiny silver ''Selection by Rimi'' sticker, so it might become a regular line for the trader.
Medium ruby. As well spotted and remarked by another taster this year, the nose initially bears a similarity to gamay. The nose suggests decent ripeness of straight-forward blueberry-like fruit, but after an hour it gains complexity. Dark cherry and damson plum take centre stage, with green herbs, leather, animal fur and malt extract each making brief appearances on the wings. Over the 2nd hour, some intermittent charred notes emerge, which - if I hadn't looked at the producer's fact sheet for the wine - would have made me think that this had come in contact with toasty American oak. (Maybe the indigenous yeasts bring out this nuance? Maybe some of the grapes got sunburnt?)
The palate doesn't show any wood, however, and seems to be denser than a gamay would be. Properly concentrated crunchy berry, but while it's faultlessly balanced, up to the first hour it's not showing the features that brought on the gushing reviews from Decanter and Tamlyn Currin from Jancis Robinson's site. It would be unfair to omit the admission that both of these reviews were in 2021, so I strongly suspected over that first hour - especially given the wine is closed by a Diam 1 grade cork - that the Matilda Nieves mencia is best enjoyed as young as possible and that I'd simply missed the boat. Yet afterwards, it gains weight, a silky texture, concentration and a delicious sweetness just before the crunchy finish. Harvested by hand and clearly made with care, this is very good plus and a great cellar defender. I expect fans of nebbiolo and pinot noir would enjoy this.
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4/20/2024 - Winosinlove wrote: 87 Points
Kate liked it. 7.5. Interesting defender. Low to no tannins.
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3/23/2024 - Richard123 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Good wine, excellent QPR at $11 or so. Fairly basic profile, nice balance of fruit, mineral and tannin. I think I'll go up the price/quality scale for general purpose wine, but a great choice for a party.
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1/23/2024 - snarfglk Likes this wine: 90 Points
real nice
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1/13/2024 - MS86 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Great value. On the lighter, juicier side. Reminds me of Gamay. Tart red cherry, red licorice, juice berry candy and leather. Mellow tannins, bright and persistent acidity. Addition of tart cranberry on the palate. Fun wine. Would buy again.
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11/24/2023 - lifeattable wrote: 88 Points
Nice wine, light and fresh, clean red berry flavor. (That 97 point score from Decanter is crazy tho.)
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10/15/2023 - vacpl wrote: 90 Points
Excellent with pork belly
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9/28/2023 - Green Isaac Likes this wine: 90 Points
Deep purple colour
Lots of small bubbles when first poured.
First sniff has aromas of cola, yeast, bubblegum (carbonic-mac-aromas), which Anna described as ”julmust”.
The nose is dense at first, where I also immediately found reductive aromas such as cabbage, sweaty-meaty (and a slightly moldy-woody nose), so both these clusters makes for a very fresh wine in need of aeration.
Other aromas are blackberry, black pepper, dark raspberry/plum & nutmeg.
Palate shows medium (+) acidity, medium (chewy) tannins, medium body and medium alcohol. The chewiness of the tannins are really something else, which gives it a great texture, longevity and character. Or, as I wrote: ”Great structure with a chewy & fresh feel!”. Finish is black pepper, dry licorice and old oak.
Great value and a bargain, especially if you apart from nose/taste also look at how interesting, nuanced and a conversation starter this wine is!
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9/23/2023 - Jmac56 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Lovely fruity nose. Classic mencia- a bit sweet but seems typical - nice chalk and acid.
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9/13/2023 - WineNerd76 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Medium ruby in color; cherries, dried herbs, and black plums on the nose; high acidity; medium tannins; tastes like pomegranates, tart cherries, and crushed gravel with a long fruity finish. Nellie says it's too tart for her tastes. I love it!
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9/10/2023 - FDP Does not like this wine: 86 Points
A nice drinking wine without any extras.
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7/17/2023 - UpfromtheCellar wrote: 88 Points
Nice but a bit heavy and cumbersome. Lots of savory notes mixed with grapey grape. Decent QPR (around $14) but lots of more interesting Mencia stuff out there.
Still trying to get my head around the high Decanter score.
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7/13/2023 - MrOctoberfest Likes this wine: 87 Points
I was a little worried when I saw that Mencia was listed far more prominently than Ribiera Sacra on the label. That seems like the Iberian equivalent of putting Pinot Noir on the center of a bottle from Pommard. The Diam1 cork didn’t help with my trepidation.
Still, the wine was decent. Red fruits are the main theme with light tannins. Stylistically similar to a cross of Beaujolais and Cotes Du Rhone. Nice for short term drinking.
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6/26/2023 - WineNerd76 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep ruby in color; cherries, dried herbs, and cranberries on the nose; intense acidity; medium minus tannins, but very smooth; tastes like Iike sour cherries, crushed gravel, and pomegranate.
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6/16/2023 - GuanYu Likes this wine: 89 Points
Purple rim, medium ruby red with blue tint. Bright cherry, plum, vanilla and wet forest. Light-medium to medium bodied, medium-high acidity, medium-high tannin, and medium alcohol.. Medium finish. Not much finesse, but excellent food wine at excellent value price.
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6/15/2023 - WineGuyX wrote: 88 Points
There’s a slight bit of funk on the nose, but also sappy blackberry, wet stones and spice. Primary and grapey on the palate, this retains an element of elegance and is quite tasty. Drink: the sooner the better 88
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6/8/2023 - Jmac56 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Modest nose. A bit fruity but otherwise we’ll balanced with nice chalk and solid finish - very quaffable.
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6/5/2023 - ocassiuso wrote:
Bottle an excessive 1399g. Moderately intense aromas of tomato skin, mint and green herbs, smoke, clay, and dark fruit behind. Dry, with moderate to elevated fresh acidity, moderate drying tannins, medium-bodied, 13% abv. Not much flesh or fruit on the palate. Saline finish. Comes across like a modest Loire cab franc.
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5/21/2023 - elborgoña wrote:
A crowd pleaser, definitely.
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5/5/2023 - elborgoña Likes this wine:
Pnp, dark fruit and pencil shavings and pencil lead on the nose. On the palate, bracing acidity and a long finish.
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4/8/2023 - PDX-S wrote:
4 days later, it is finally hitting on all cylinders. Blue fruits and herbal notes all day. A riper Mencia.
Either hold for a couple of years or decant vigorously and hours ahead.
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4/4/2023 - CasperE Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very good price-quality! Hands full of solid fruit and nice herbal notes. Mencia offers high drinkability in this version - uplifting and sympathetic. Will buy again.
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3/8/2023 - Elodie Grace Likes this wine: 89 Points
I liked this. Wasn't able to focus on the wine as I'd have liked to, but it was interesting and really grew as I drank. Great with food.
Will buy again.
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2/22/2023 - dlu Likes this wine:
A new wine for us from Galicia. Deep hues, dusty nose of black fruits, good balance of bright acidity, fresh fruit, and very mild tannins. Worked very well with a fideos/pork casserole.
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2/20/2023 - R2-D2 wrote: 88 Points
Juicy fruit flavors of strawberry, black cherry, and blackberry dominate this medium-bodied rose, herb, and crushed stone flavored wine from Galicia's inland Ribeira Sacra area. Fresh acidity ties together the fruit and upper cheek-coating tannins.
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1/19/2023 - df1962 Likes this wine: 91 Points
PnP.
Consistent with previous notes. Crunchy delicious great buy.
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1/1/2023 - BPaff Likes this wine: 89 Points
Juicy dark berries and cherries, slightly herbal and earthy.
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12/13/2022 - df1962 wrote: 91 Points
PnD.
Consistent with previous notes. Crunchy red fruit with mineral and herbal notes. Great stuff.
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12/9/2022 - SpenceP wrote: 93 Points
Retasting this--see my note of September 21, 2022 for a full account--I would add hints of mint and of candied orange peel toward the end of the aftertaste to my earlier description.
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12/7/2022 - ChateauDutremble Likes this wine: 90 Points
Un nez discret de moka, de fruits rouges ainsi que de notes florales. Les tannins sont poussiéreux et bien intégrés. Souple, mi-corsé aux saveurs de fruits confits. Longue finale sur des notes de torréfaction. Excellent RQP (CA$19 LCBO). 90+
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11/29/2022 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 90 Points
Trying a Mencia from Ribeira Sacra. Their website lists this as 100% Mencia while some have the principle varietal counting for 85% of the blend and the rest being Garnacha Tintorera (8%) and Sousao (7%.) This supposedly won a "Best of Show" award from Decanter which doesn't mean much to me, however I love Mencia so I'm curious to see if this inexpensive ($19 CAD) example of Ribeira Sacra is worth the price of admission.
Color: Deep, clear ruby
Nose: Medium intensity, notes of black plums, cloudberries, cranberries, thistle, damp earth and birchwood
Palate: Medium intensity, light tannin, notes of soft dark forest berries, plum, black cherry, pine needles and damp forest floor
Finish: Medium plus acid, medium minus intensity, lingering damp earth and forest berry fruitiness
Overall for the money this is a steal of a wine. Its well composed yet decently complex showing some great finesse and mouthfeel. I'll definitely be buying a few for the holidays to share with friends!
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11/17/2022 - rodsjuice Likes this wine: 92 Points
Composite cork. Decanted around 20 minutes. Nice floral, mainly red fruit on the nose. Lighter to medium body, fresh and lively palate with gentle spices. Great easy drinking everyday wine at a great QBR. I bought 4x more bottles.
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11/12/2022 - Papabear57 wrote:
Will buy again.
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11/3/2022 - df1962 Likes this wine: 91 Points
PnD.
Consistent with previous notes. Great combination of complexity and deliciousness.
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10/20/2022 - df1962 wrote: 91 Points
PnD let air for 2hrs.
Consistent with previous note. Great fruit violets liquorice (Goodies) crunchy with mineral and savoury notes. Huge value.
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10/7/2022 - df1962 wrote: 91 Points
PnD let air for 3hrs.
Consistent with notes.
Great fruit and acidity with mineral notes adding complexity. Awesome with Thanksgiving turkey dinner.
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10/2/2022 - Bud Break Likes this wine: 89 Points
Buy again
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10/2/2022 - Bodhi2 Likes this wine:
Dark ruby color
Minerally and earthy tones with notes of tobacco, blackberry, and plum.
Opened up after 45 min, will decant 1 hour + next time
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9/21/2022 - SpenceP wrote: 93 Points
An explosion of mixed herbs, blackberries, and minerals (immediately after opening there was a faint unpleasant metallic note, but that vanished in just a minute), with a vivid and extremely long aftertaste. Nice acidity. Distinctly Mediterranean. Freshness is everything here--I personally wouldn't even think of aging this (or decanting)--it's all about wildly immediate fresh fruit. Only for those who enjoy very young wines, but if you do, this is an amazing pleasure. Closed with a Diam cork. (Tasted over the course of an hour, from the Jancis Robinson glass.)
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9/10/2022 - king-bing wrote:
Needed some air but then rather good if a shade polished. Very much of the Beaujolais meets Syrah so typical of Mencia. value at around £14.
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9/7/2022 - Bud Break Likes this wine: 91 Points
B says buy again, cherry raspberry menthol on the nose, fruit forward medium body, muted tannins, mid-palate shows tart red fruit and yogurt, finish with black tea and cola, had with smoked gouda, 13% abv
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9/2/2022 - ocassiuso wrote:
Bottle 1392g. Moderately intense aromas of dried cherry, dried blueberry, slightly lifted, yogurt; dry, with moderate acidity and modest tannins—flabby by mencia standards—darker fruit on the palate, and savory. Medium bodied, 13°. Crowd-pleaser up front, but short on structure and ageability.
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8/23/2022 - df1962 wrote: 91 Points
PnP.
Clear. Medium ruby.
Clean. Medium(+) intensity with aroma of raspberry coulis dust yogurt anise lavender and plum.
Dry. Medium(+) acidity. Medium alcohol. Medium tannins. Medium body. Medium intensity with flavour of raspberry beets black tea red currant orange rind and cola.
Medium(+) finish with black tea and cherry skin grip. Very good. Drink now and over the next five years. Lovely wine with suitable complexity that builds over time. Great alternative to basic Bourgogne even if over-scored by Decanter. Getting some more.
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8/18/2022 - tob100 Likes this wine: 99 Points
No decanting, which could be a mistake. Maybe give it 1-2 hours.
The nose:
Smoke, tomato, lots of red berries. A little oak at the end and perhaps a little basil to finish with.
The palate:
A ball of red fruit. So f-delicious. Strawberry, blackberry, blackcurrant, raspberry, so great. just simply fruit and a shit load of it.
What's not to like!?!
Oak is very little to none
Spices is very little to none
Tannin low
Acidity medium-
Body medium-
Really really great wine. If people don't like it or find it odd, you gotta put in mind, that this is not the normal Ribera or Rioja style - Its not heavy, not full body and not complex. This one is light, elegant and fruity, which is so great.
Its great to sit on the balcony a hot summer day, and drink this.
i'm not sure if its going to benefit from a cellaring, maybe from a decanting, but not much, 1 hour max.
Delicious to sniff, delicious to drink, I'm a fan 99 points.
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8/3/2022 - Dinamarca wrote: 89 Points
Frisk og lækker Mencia. Helt lilla i farven. Relativ lukket næse og lidt funky med nogen gær, røde kirsebær, ribs. I munden er vinen frisk og lækker læskende. Røde kirsebær, lidt sød amaretto, stikkelsbær og en fin mellemlang eftersmag med nogle tanniner. En god syre, men på ingen måde en sur sag. Friskt og lækkert - lige til terrassen og en god grillet laks.
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7/5/2022 - mvigilius@gmail.com Likes this wine: 90 Points
Charming. Spice, fruit, hint of chocolate, high acidity gives it perfect structure, extremely high QPR, should have bought s’more!
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7/2/2022 - Joelene wrote: 88 Points
Very good but not great, had some old world nose but lacks some depth. Some acidity on the mid palate but falls apart just a touch. 3rd pour seemed the best so maybe a little time will do this good. Started getting more pepper and beef broth notes. Has some great nuances but fails to completely bring it all together. That said it’s only $15 and is perfectly fine for a mid-week sipper. 88-90
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6/25/2022 - jtsejersen@gmail.com wrote: 85 Points
A little barnyard/dirty nose with animalistic notes of sour cream. There is a salty/smokey note that reminds me of dried salty beef jerky. The fruit is dark but light - black berries, black cherries, boysenberry etc… The taste is juicy yet savory with notes of pepper. I like this wine for its funky style paired with its easy drinkability, but it’s definitely not a crowd pleaser like a Beaujolais… so be warned :-)
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5/20/2022 - Bud Break Likes this wine: 88 Points
Buy again
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4/11/2022 - JensAgo Does not like this wine: 80 Points
No, this Mencia was not my style. Dark ruby in the glass. Nose is dominated by ripe black berries, mix of cranberries/lingonberries, dust, green notes. Palate, medium+-bodied, showcases same black berries, fine tannins, no proper acidity, dust. Somewhat cooked mouthfeel, no grip or proper structure. Sultry, dreary feeling throughout.
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3/21/2022 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 89 Points
Wow, this was surprising. Deep purple color with nose of raspberries and strawberries, along with pepper, sage, cocoa, oregano. Dusty tannins and bright acidity with tangy but saucy cherry fruit. Complex notes of spiced tea raspberry leaf, black pepper, paprika. Super fun and quite a lot going on for a wine at this price point. Mencia is so fun, and this is a nice value for less than $20.
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3/5/2022 - ocassiuso Likes this wine:
Bottle 1394g. Moderately intense aromas of red fruit, tobacco, raw meat, tomato skin. Dry, with moderate acidity, moderate levels of fine-grained tannins, medium-bodied, 13°. Dense red and black fruit on the palate, a lot of power for its weight. Hopefully the odd aromas will change with exposure to air, because otherwise it's a convincing mouthful.
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2/12/2022 - BizTodd Likes this wine:
Great easy drinking wine.
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2/4/2022 - Everything Ahead wrote: 88 Points
This was a fun find. Lots of refreshing (almost natural-wine like) acidity, darker fruits, interesting nose of herbs and oak-spice, subtle hints of brett and VA. Not a lot of depth and actually a little sweet-ish on the finish, but I think a few months to a year in the cellar should sort this wine out a bit. A lighter, refreshing kind of wine for sure, and excellent value if you like this style.
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1/21/2022 - Shak wrote: 88 Points
Unique fruit flavor but not a lot of body. Nice light wine.
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1/17/2022 - Boblen wrote: 88 Points
Umiddelbart mørke modne bær, urter, stilket, blød, fin syre. Smager godt.
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1/13/2022 - redders Likes this wine: 88 Points
Just delicious wine. Fresh slaty hint of herbs. Good energy. This is fantastic value. Current favourite mid week wine.
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1/8/2022 - jesi1882@gmail.com Likes this wine: 90 Points
transparent amazing ruby color
Aromas of butter, oak, deep black fruit like tart black cherry, or boysenberry
juicy and acidic, like a deep dark cherry red cola, or root beer maybe because of the licorice/mint/sarsaparilla note.
Nieves-Dusty and smoky, green tobacco, some Brett,
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12/8/2021 - Callum's Corkers Likes this wine: 92 Points
Bought Exel Wines, Perth UK, £14.00 2021
Mencia 'Matilda Nieves'
Ribera Sacra DOP
Decanted 30 mins, tasted at kitchen room temp.
N...simple ripe red/black fruit; but short, no intensity. Almost boring.
C....deep red, looks young with heavy body.
T....almost inky mouth-feel; lovely ripe fruit balanced with decent acidity; a slight tannic flour; some length, some silky texture; juicy and pleasent; enough power here to cellar for a couple of years but it feels it should be drunk 'young and fun.'
No real mineral profile or proper complexity, just a very well-made Quaffer of quality. Feels like a classy Beaujolais, has enough power to be chilled for a summer lunch. Because it's Nose is so boring why bother with proper wine glasses? Shallow cafe classes should do.
VFM?.....worth every penny of £14.00, and more; good VFM/QPR.
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10/29/2021 - redders Likes this wine: 88 Points
Delicious uncomplicated but beautifully made wine. Simple ripe fruit with acidity and structure for balance. Very easy to drink. Attractive sweet and sour note. Will buy more. Excellent QPR
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