Castro Ventosa Valtuille Vino de Villa 2024

Castro Ventosa makes this Vino de Villa from vineyards in and around Valtuille de Abajo, in the Bierzo region of Castilla y León. It is one of the first wines released under Bierzo's new village level classification, which ties the wine to a single municipality much as a French village appellation does. The blend is led by Mencía, with Bastardo, Garnacha Tintorera and a small fraction of white varieties co-fermented in the old field blend tradition. Bierzo sits in a sheltered valley with a mix of clay and slate soils, and the slate in particular gives Mencía its mineral, slightly graphite character while the diurnal swing between warm days and cool nights keeps the fruit fresh and floral. Ageing runs twelve months in French oak, used here for structure and slow oxygenation rather than overt vanilla, so the wood stays in the background. The wine pours a bright ruby. The nose shows red cherry, raspberry, dried herbs and black pepper over a stony base, and the palate is medium bodied with fine tannin and lively acidity. Serve at 15 to 16 degrees with roast poultry, pork or mushroom dishes.