Godelia Tinto 2019

Bodegas Godelia makes this single-variety Mencía in D.O. Bierzo from estate vines aged 40 to 60 years, planted between 500 and 700 metres on clay soils mixed with pebbles and slate. The grapes are picked by hand into small 15 kilo boxes and selected in the vineyard, and the winemaking is done plot by plot. Bierzo sits in a sheltered basin in León with a mild, partly Atlantic climate, and the altitude and varied soils give Mencía both ripeness and freshness. The slate and stone drain well and push the old vines to root deep, concentrating the low yields and carrying a mineral note into the wine, while the cool nights hold acidity at the high 15 percent ripeness. After fermentation the wine ages 12 months in French oak, where slow oxygen exchange softens the tannins and adds spice. The colour is deep and dark. The nose is ripe, with blackberry and plum over liquorice, spice and a stony, earthy edge. The palate is full and warm, the tannins ripe and fine, the fruit generous but framed by a savoury, mineral line through a long finish. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees and decant. It suits grilled and roasted meat.