La Vigne de El Rebolon 2019

La Vigne de El Rebolon is made by Bodegas y Viñedos Mengoba in Carracedelo, in the Bierzo, the winery founded in 2007 by Gregory Pérez after spells at Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste and Château Cos d'Estournel in Bordeaux. The wine is led by Mencía with Godello and a little Garnacha Tinta, the white grape lending freshness and aromatic lift to the red blend. Bierzo lies in a sheltered north-west basin where Atlantic humidity meets continental warmth, and the best parcels sit on slopes of slate and quartzite that drain freely and push the old vines deep, giving wines with freshness, fine tannin and a stony cut rather than weight. Farming is sustainable and low-intervention. Ageing is twelve months in oak, used barrels that round the wine through slow oxygen exchange while keeping the fruit and site to the fore. The colour is bright medium ruby. The nose shows red berries, cherry and plum over crushed herbs, pepper and a smoky, slate-like minerality. The palate is medium-bodied and fresh, with silky tannin, savoury depth and a long finish. Serve at 15 to 16 degrees, lightly chilled if you wish. It suits game, roast meats and mushrooms.