Altos de Nuñez - Mencia (2003)

shoelace

Altos de Nuñez - Mencia (2003) - Bodega y Viñas La Serrana (León, España)
13.5%/alc

Cork: slightly of vinegar and of alcohol. Damn it to hell this wine better not be bad. Bad grapes smell like this.
Pour: purple but light in hue, quickly popping bubbles.
Smell: dark berry, black current almost.. spicy but not overwhelming, alcohol does not override the notes of toasted chocolate that is present.

Woah, glad this bottle does not taste like vinegar, though it does taste like alcohol.. which is not surprising since it was a 5.99 bottle of Spanish red. This is my first introduction to the Mencia grape - a cousin of the cabernet franc. Upon first sip, I am reminded of a light styled floral wine like a beaujolais, though not as floral. A harsher presentation upon swallowing, this wine lingers in the mid-palate with a taste I am unfamilour with. I am not quite sure what this is. Perhaps it is an attempt at explosive tannins from oak aging, though the bottle does not report its aging techniques. Swallow after swallow this flavor reports back, and the only thing near comparison I can taste from it is the flavor of sod and dirt, an earthy aroma and taste that dissapates quickly into the grape itself, as flavors of a juicy grape are present, though not rich enough to be considered velvety or subtlely jammy, it is more of a rich taste of grape juice. I was told this wine would be an inexpensive spicy wine, though no spice notes are noticed in this vintage. I am used to spicier Spanish varietals and always expect spice notes to be present, but since the mencia grape is a cousin of the cabernet franc it shant be surprising that this is not spicy. A lighter, fruitier style wine of dirty cherry subduing into rich grape flavors showing off tannins only as you breathe out, ready to sip again.

© www.shoelace.org/wine 2006

Tasting Tags: altosdenunez bierzo cabernetfranc mencia spain