Unculín Tinto 2023

Unculín is a young Mencía from José Antonio García Viticultor, who in 2010 returned to Valtuille de Abajo in D.O. Bierzo to revive his family's old vineyards. The fruit comes from old vines, many between eighty and a hundred years old, spread across numerous small plots. Bierzo sits in a sheltered valley in north-west Spain, where the combination of slate and clay soils and a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate gives Mencía its characteristic freshness, floral perfume and stony grip. The wine is fermented and then held for four months on its lees in stainless steel tanks, with no oak. Keeping the wine in contact with the spent yeast adds texture and a subtle savoury depth while the steel and short ageing preserve the bright, primary fruit and the variety's mineral signature. The colour is a bright, medium ruby. The nose is perfumed, with wild red berry, cherry and redcurrant lifted by violet and a peppery, herbal edge. The palate is light to medium bodied, fresh and supple, with fine tannins, lively acidity and a slatey, savoury finish. Serve at 14 to 16 degrees, lightly cool. It works with roast chicken, charcuterie and grilled fish.