Godelia Selección Tinto 2016

Godelia Selección Tinto is a red from the D.O. Bierzo, made by Bodegas Godelia in the village of Pieros, on the pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostela. It is produced entirely from Mencía, taken from old vines of around eighty years planted between five hundred and seven hundred metres. Bierzo sits in a sheltered basin where Atlantic and continental influences meet, and its slate and clay slopes at altitude give Mencía its mix of red fruit, freshness and a graphite like minerality. Old vines of this age crop very little, which concentrates the fruit and deepens the structure. The wine ages sixteen months in four hundred litre French oak barrels, a larger format than the standard barrique, so the oak exchange is gentler and the wood frames the fruit rather than dominating it. It is deep ruby, with dark berries and plum over liquorice, sweet spice, tobacco and a stony, earthy base. The palate is medium to full bodied, with ripe but firm tannins, fresh acidity and a long, savoury finish carried by the old vine concentration. Serve at sixteen to eighteen degrees, and decant an hour ahead. It pairs with roast beef, lamb and earthy mushroom dishes.