Sangarida Mencía 2023

Sangarida work in D.O. Bierzo, the cool, hilly corner of Castilla y Leon where Mencia is the signature red grape. This bottling is made without oak, spending only three months on its lees in stainless steel. Steel preserves the bright primary fruit, while the time on the fine lees adds a little texture and roundness through the slow release of compounds from the spent yeast, without adding any wood character. Bierzo sits in a sheltered basin with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate, and the best vines grow on slate and clay slopes that give the wines their mineral, floral lift. Mencia is aromatic and medium bodied, with fresh acidity and a peppery, herbal character. The result is a vivid, juicy red, bright ruby in colour, with raspberry and red cherry fruit, violet, black pepper and a clear stony minerality. The palate is fresh and supple, with soft tannins and a clean, mineral finish. Serve slightly cool at 14 to 16 degrees, which flatters its lively fruit. It suits white meats, charcuterie and even meatier fish.