Region

Currently one of the most buzzed-about wine regions in all of Spain, Valdeorras—Galicia’s “Valley of Gold”—may have only caught on with wine lovers and sommeliers recently, but it’s unique grapes are every bit as fascinating as those of the country’s more well-known wine areas. At the time of Roman incorporation of the region in 19 BC, Valdeorras (Ourense, Galicia) was renowned for its gold mines; once the gold was exhausted, goes the lore, the Romans turned to the wine making Valdeorras potentially one of the oldest viticultural areas on the Iberian Peninsula.

Variety

Mencía (“Men-thee-ah”) is a medium to full bodied red wine grape that produces high quality wines with floral and red fruit flavours. If you’ve never heard of it, it’s not surprising, Mencía only grows in Spain and Portugal on the Iberian peninsula. What makes Mencía special is it has shown the ability to age like other fine wines and it offers rich aromas in the glass. If you love Pinot Noir and other aromatic reds like Gamay. 

Producer

Telmo Rodriguez, the producer, was paid to yank and pull all the Mencía and plant Merlot and Cab. Instead, he planned a whole project to show how Mencía can shine and saved the grape from wine extinction. Not just known as one of the best producers in Spain, he is also a prominent voice and invaluable promoter of Spanish winemaking.

Serving

16C degrees and slightly chilled similar to a Beaujolais!

The Nose

A juicy red wine with an intense nose dominated by floral notes and red fruits.

Tasting Notes

On the palate it is powerful, light to medium bodied wine, unctuous and elegant. Aromatic, cherry fruit, a touch savoury and earthy, and a gorgeous lightness of touch. A fruity textured wine with refreshing acidity and balsamic touches.

Food Pairings

Pork chops, charcuterie, turkey, wild mushroom risotto.

If You Like This Wine, You May Also Like…

Pinot Noir.

Why We Like It

It has a cool story with the preservation of the Mencía grape. Starting as a high yielding table wine to more cultivated smaller yields, growing quite literally into a high performing beautiful wine making grape. It’s a great stylistic wine to drink with food or to enjoy on its own.