La Penitencia 2023

La Penitencia is made by Raúl Pérez, one of Spain's most respected winemakers, in the Ribeira Sacra in Galicia. He produces small quantities of Mencía from old vines, working here with the fruit and facilities of Guímaro, a small family estate with fine old plots of the variety. Ribeira Sacra is a steep, terraced region where vines cling to slopes above the river gorges, on slate and granitic soils that drain freely and lend the wines a stony cut. The Atlantic-influenced climate keeps temperatures moderate, so Mencía ripens slowly and holds fresh acidity and aromatic lift. The wine ages 12 months in French oak, where gentle oxygen exchange rounds the tannins while keeping the fruit to the fore. The colour is bright cherry red. The nose shows red berries, fresh cherry and a floral rose lift over black pepper, thyme and a clear mineral note. The palate is light to medium bodied, fresh and fine-grained, with supple tannins and a long, savoury, stony finish. Serve at 15 to 16 degrees, and pour it with roast duck, chicken or mushroom dishes.