Structure

Sweetnessdry
Oaklarge or old casks

Drinking window

Best 3 to 12 years from vintage.
vintage3 yrs12 yrs14 yrs

Critic scores

No critic score is published for this bottle that we can cite with a reviewer, a vintage and a review year, so none is shown. The rating in the header is our own.

What it pairs with

  • Braised oxtail
    Foudre ageing leaves a savoury frame for long-cooked beef.
  • Roast lamb
    Fruit from eighty-year-old slate vines carries a lamb roast.
  • Chestnut and pork stew
    The Bierzo chestnut harvest is the natural local match.

History

The Espanillo parcels sit at 700 metres on decomposed slate with sandy patches, worked by hand with three passes of a plough drawn by two cows. Fruit is hand picked into crates, destemmed and crushed, then goes straight into a 2,500 litre foudre for both fermentations and around eleven months of ageing before an unfiltered bottling.

Facts

Producer
Bodegas y Viñedos Mengoba · visiting guide
Grapes
Mencía, Alicante Bouschet
Classification
DO Bierzo
Oak
Eleven months in a 2,500 litre foudre
ABV
13.5%
Production
3,000 bottles
Price
€20-27 at retail
Drinking window
3-12 from vintage

Frequently asked about Mencía de Espanillo

Where is Mencía de Espanillo made?

From Mencía parcels at Espanillo, 700 metres above sea level on decomposed slate with sandy zones, where the average vine age is eighty years.

How long is Mencía de Espanillo aged?

Around eleven months in a single 2,500 litre foudre, where it also completes both fermentations. It is bottled without filtration after a light fining.

When should I drink Mencía de Espanillo?

Drink between three and twelve years from vintage.

What food pairs with Mencía de Espanillo?

Braised oxtail, roast lamb, or a chestnut and pork stew.

Tags

alicante bouschet dry high acid medium body medium tannin medium term menc a mood rustic mood savoury occasion dinner party occasion special old vines old world pairs with game pairs with pork pairs with red meat price trade up single vineyard still red

Taste it where it is made: tours and tastings in Bierzo

See all 5 bookable experiences in Bierzo

← Back to wines in Bierzo