Cuatro Pasos Black 2021

Cuatro Pasos Black is a Bierzo Mencía from Martín Códax, made in Cacabelos in León. The fruit comes from 80 year old vines planted on slate slopes, ploughed and farmed without herbicides, and picked by hand into 20 kilogram boxes. Bierzo lies in a sheltered basin in the north west of Castilla y León, with an Atlantic influenced climate and slate soils that warm quickly and drain freely, giving Mencía its mix of fresh red and black fruit, floral lift and a graphite minerality. Old vines crop low and concentrate the fruit, which here is fermented in stainless steel over seven days and then macerated on the skins for around 25 days to draw out colour, tannin and phenolic depth. The wine is then aged in oak, where slow oxygen exchange rounds the tannins and adds a light spice and smoke without masking the variety. The colour is deep, dark cherry. The nose shows ripe dark berries, plum, liquorice and a stony, peppery note, and the palate is medium to full bodied, concentrated and savoury, with ripe tannin and a fresh, mineral finish. Serve at 16 to 17 degrees. Good with game, grilled meats and earthy dishes.