With a bit of background from my last post, we can get on to the wines in more detail. I was lucky enough to visit two different producers and drink a number of wines from other producers at local restaurants and bars. The thing that is common to all of these producers is that they are looking to the older mencia vineyards on the high slopes that centre around the villages of Cruillon and Villafranca del Bierzo at the west end of the valley. There is an amazing diversity of climats here, a slight move 10 meters left or right on a hill can make a difference to the amount of sunlight that a vine will receive and the soil composition. Similarly, elevation changes the character of the resulting grapes. With elevation ranging from 500 to 1100 meters, there is a wide variation in the character and class of the wines produced here. The single vineyard wines of Descendientes de J.Palacios show this really well, but more on that in another post.

Now Menica can be a tricky little beast, it is very high in tannin, moderate in acid, and has a number of traits that some will see as overbearing, at the least undesirable. A herby green tang, smoke and excessive blackcurrant to name a few. As such it is fairly easy to make hard, tanninic monsters with green notes and there are some tough decisions to be made in both the vineyard and bodega depending on the desired style and source of grapes. Many modern producers belive that a mix of tradition with a healthy dose of modern methods is required to get the best out of these hills.

Vineyards in Bierzo, like many other areas of Spain, have traditionally been small plots owned by a family for their own consumption with the left overs sold off to either a local co-op or larger producer. This hasn’t really changed too much, so many of the wines are a made from a collection of small, old vine vineyards that are still farmed by their owner in conjunction with whoever they are selling their grapes to. A number of producers are buying up small plots and working them with organic or biodynamic methods, however this is still not too far off the way people have been farming here for generations. There are also broadacre vineyards on the river flats that have been planted in the past 15 years, these are generally for bulk production and are farmed as they are anywhere else.

The majority of the quality vines are grown in the traditional gobblet or en vaso style, so no trellis or and only minimal training. Driving around the region you will see some newer vineyards with trellis, these are mainly on the lower, flat land for bulk wine production, however some newer quality planting have also use trellis. In terms of rootstock, most vines are on their own rootstock, however newer plantings are using phylloxera resistant rootstock. I haven’t done a lot of research into it yet, but I’m told that there is a huge number of clones of Mencia available. From what I can tell most people are replanting with cuttings from similar sites or with clones they prefer from long experience in the vineyard.

So, moving on to the  wine making style of Bierzo in general, the modern producers tend to like largish (2,000 to 10,000 litre) french oak fermenters for oak aged wines, while the young wines are fermented in stainless steel. There are some using old open top concrete fermenters (or legares) and holding tanks, however the use of these seems to be on the decline. I’m told many of these old tanks were hiding places for republican supporters during Franco’s purges in the 30s and 40s. A bleak reminder of Spain’s past.

There are a few things here that are common to many other regions of Spain. In just about every red wine producing area in Spain there seems to be three main styles of wine: carbonic maceration wines, young wines with or without oak, and mature wines with extensive oak treatment and aging. I am simplifying of course, and you could lump the first two together if you like and there is lots of diversity in each category.

Carbonic maceration is quite popular here. At it’s best it can produce fresh, fruity blueberry bubblegum flavored wines with that retain a savory note and they match excellently with the local food. Now, I am not often a fan of wines made with carbonic maceration, but when done well it seems to suit Mencia from Bierzo quite well. The young wines step this up a little in terms of structure and generally have some time in wood, french oak seems to be the popular choice, although many wines have a blend of american and french oak.

Mature wines, or ‘raised’ wines, don’t really follow a defined trend in terms wood treatment or aging here and the crianza system is not prescribed by the DO. So there is no fixed minimum time in wood or bottle (there are lots of other rules that govern the production however). As such producers are free to do what they like with wood aging. There are wines with full on new oak for 18 or 24 months, wines with only old wood, fermented in old lagres and everything in between. In general these are the wines that are causing all the buzz on this region and they range from huge, taninic big oaky wines to smooth, almost Burgundian styled wines. As always producer is important to pick the right kind of wines for your taste.

To my mind the leading producer in terms of quality is Descendientes de J.Palacios (lets call them DJP for short), a collaboration between Ricardo Palacios and his uncle Alvaro. I’ll give a full report on these guys later on, but the work that is being done by these guys is inspiring and they have brought significant muscle to the table, both in terms of experience and know how coupled with smart investment.  Focused on very high quality, DJP produce wines on a similar model to burgundy: there is a regional wine from a blend of their own and bought grapes, called Petalos, a ‘village’ wine from the vines around the village of Corullon, called Corullion strangely enough, and a range of single vineyard wines of high up on the slopes surrounding  Corullion. Similarly, Martin Codax are making some great wines here and have really worked hard to capture the essence of Bierzo and Mencia. Other producers to look out for here in Australia are Domino de Tares and Luna Beberide. Given these four producers you should be able to see a good cross section of what is going on here and get a good feel for the region.

Mans best Friend in Bierzo is not the dog...

It’s impossible to define a whole region after visiting for a couple of days and talking to a handful of winemakers, but here is a quick overview of what makes this a special place to make wine.

The valley has been cut out of the surrounding mountains by a couple of rivers and has formed a paradise for traditional agriculture. First there is the river flats for grazing animals, a little higher up for vegetables and apples, pears and plums. Go higher still and you’ll find chestnuts and cherries. But where are the vines? Look a little higher to the impossibly steep mountain sides and you’ll find small plots of very old vines clinging to the side of the hills. This is perfect country for traditional farming and community. The region is well known for it’s produce: potatoes, tomatoes, goat and lamb, cured meats (which are generally smoked here due to the humidity from the rivers), and all kinds of fruits and nuts.

Of course these days people do grow vines on the river flat, it is easier to make bulk wines here with machine harvesting, but it is on the mountain slopes where you’ll find the quality grapes. The mountains here are steep, some of them look almost vertical, yet there are vineyards here. How people work them is beyond me, but I do know that the help of a donkey is required. Like in Priorat, or the much closer Douro Valley, the mount sides consist of a base of slate shist with a variety of stuff over the top: clay and pebbles at the base near the river, a bit higher up it moves into limestone and quartz (I pilfered a couple of good size rocks, as only a wine geek would!) and towards the top you find slate coming to the surface. This is a generalisation, as the top of some hills have clay and no limestone etc, but it should give you an idea of the landscape.

Mencia is the grape of choice here,  it has evolved over time to become at home in Bierzo and has the ability to produce some stunning wines. It produces strong, robust reds that are deeply tannic, with slightly lower acidity than what is considered normal. Yet this doesn not seem to hinder the wines aging quite well. One of the great things about mencia is that it is very approachable when young, the 2009 vintage barrel samples I looked at were ready to go and thats only 4 months after harvest. Most wine tasted at this is very young and almost doesn’t taste like wine. There are plantings of Tempranillo, Cabernet and other red grapes in the areas, for my tastes these should be left well alone.

In terms of white wine, there is a small production of Godello which shows promise. There are lots of old Palomino vines mixed in with the mencia in some vineyards, this was used in the past to bulk up production, the end result being a table wine of lower concentration and alcohol with a wishy-washy taste. Quality producers are replacing these old palomino vines with mencia.

Frozen Shist

Of course the people and their influences form a big part in the region too, and this place has had its fair share over the years. First it was the Romans, who minded the hills and river valleys for gold. Then of course there is the Camino de Stantiago (or the way of St. James if you prefer the english version). People have been walking the camino for centuries, bringing many things with them, including vines. The old story is that monks brought vine cuttings with them from northern Europe to Bierzo and planted what has become Mencia, the king of grapes for the region. Now, many have though that mencia was originally Cabernet Franc from Bordeaux, and there are similarities between the two, however genetic testing has disproved this theory. Whatever it was, I’m very thankful that they did.

Of course then there is the Spanish Civil War and Franco’s reign over the country from 1936 to 1975. The story is similar to that of many other regions that were abandoned for wine production during the Franco era: grape prices where set on weight regardless of quality, the amount of labour required to cultivate the vines in Bierzo is very high and yields were low, so many families abandoned their vineyards and went to the bigger cities to look for work in industry or offices. Those that stayed were generally older, this can still be seen now, there are very few young people walking in the streets of Villafranca del Bierzo. The younger generations came back in the summer for holidays, but that was about it.

In the late 90s younger people started looking at all these old vines (and importantly EU funds for reclaiming old varieties and vineyards) and production of quality wine was again on the agenda. Given a couple of hectares of vineyards, plus the fruit trees that are intermingled with the vines, a family is again able to sustain itself from the land. The old vineyards are being rejuvenated with quality as the driver, rather than quanity.

The region has a blossoming wine industry now and interest is high. Many in the Spanish (and global) wine press have announced El Bierzo the ‘new Priorat’. This linkage is helped by the fact that Ricardo Palacios, nephew of Alvaro Palacios, has started up a major concern here in partnership with his uncle. Generally speaking, many of the local wines are produced by Co-Ops while there is a growing interest from large wine companies.

More on the wines of Bierzo in my next post….

As mentioned in a comment by Marcelo last week, Cuatro Pasos is a budget priced Mencia. Smart packaging and good drinking on the inside of the bottle go a long way here. I though I had post this up ages ago, but the pesky draft box was ticked…

I often confuse the nose of mencia for a more rustic red burgundy and this is no different. Earthy cherry, with a kind of swirling blend of spice, floral notes, fine oak treatment, a bit of funky bacon and some coffee on this one. Fleshy tannins are also a give away, chewy and open knit here. The palate shows more blueberry and a touch of plum, with a core of cherry fruit. Nice length with a minerally finish. A little heat closes things out. Possibly the best value mencia on the market…   90 Pts.

Source: Broadway Liquor Distributors Price: $24 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.martincodax.com

It can be it a very robust and rustic variety, but when well handled by a thoughtful vinter, a very stylish and textured wine results. While not cheap, this one is very good for the money.  The fruit of 50 to 80 year old vines shown the ol’  French oak treatment for 8 months. The result is this textbook example of Mencia.

Bushy herbs, plums and mulberry, with bright cherry at the core. Dusty and earthy with a bit of tobacco. Attractive and inviting. Palate shows lovely tannins, coco and cherry, loads of  blueberry. Tasty, but a little heat on the finish. Long length with minerals and tangy orange sherbert. Nice stuff. 90 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $42 Closure: Conventional Cork

Earthy and undergrowthy with hints of dark chocolate and clove on the nose. Some nice blueberry and cherry fruit blows in with a bit more time. There are certainly plenty of tannins here, long chalky things that give texture. Medium bodied but full flavoured. Crunchy minerals, raspberry, cherry and blueberry fruit mixed up with some earthy herbs and spices. Character filled and easy to drink, it’s good drinking at $26. 88 Pts.

Source: Negociants Australia RRP: $26 Closure: Conventional Cork

I've said before that this is a sleeper, and I still think its ture. Tempranillo and Garnarcha get all the big press, but well made Mencia wines are stunning and offer something quite different. I took this to an offline last week and did the blind options thing. Unfortunately people know I'm going to bring Spanish, but no one guessed that this was Mencia.  In fact most people had never heard of it. But besides being a great options wine, its an excellent wine in its own right.  Whenever someone asks me for a suggestion for something a bit different but great, this is the wine that comes to mind time after time. A bit of a price rise on this one too.

Its's open and going right from the start, seriously great fruit  here: blackcurrent, blueberry and subtle cherry loaded up with earthy notes, a bit of mocha and violets.  Oooh, those tannins are bloody good. I always love the fleshy tannins in this wine, they give the wine a texture that takes it to another level. Balanced and very long on the finish.  The palate shows blackberry and blueberry fruit with roasted coconut, sage, mocha and minerals.  More minerals on the finish.  A spanking wine that I just want more of. A monty for the cellar, drink from 2011. 94+ Pts

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $115 Closure: Conventional Cork

Other vintages: 2003, 2004 

The Baltos is a entry level wine from Dominio de Tares.  Its 100% mencia and sees 6 months in french oak.   Apparently this wine was developed for the American market…

Ruby red in the glass, a bit lighter in colour than I expected.  The nose show toasty oak, earth, cloves, pepper, coco and cherry liqueur with raspberry and mulberry fruit.  Silky in the mouth, the acid is poking out a little bit at the moment but the fruit tannins are fine and plateful.  For the most part the palate is a bit simple with raspberry and mulberry, but adds some minerals to the finish.    A wine with a great nose that is let down by a simple palate.  87 Pts.

Source: Boccaccio Cellars RRP: $30 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.dominiodetares.com

Cepas Viejas is made from Mencia vines that are around 60 years old.  It sees 9 months in both French and American wood.

The nose opens up with overwhelming coffee oak and earth, so straight into the decanter it goes.  An hour later it was much more balanced showing raspberry and cherries, chocolate, and some roses and violets, as well as the coffee and earth. Very tight and meaty in the mouth, the tannins took a while to show themselves, but when they did they bought friends.  Flavours of roasted meats, raspberry and currents hit the palate, followed up with a long, minerally finish.  A bit primary at the moment, will be worth the wait in a couple of years.  92 Pts.

Source: Boccaccio Cellars RRP: $52 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.dominiodetares.com

There is also a range of single vineyard wines from the same stable, I think I need to investigate.

Kicks off with a slightly subdued nose of mulberry, earth and rocks.  It opens up with more air to show some boozed cherry and mocha.  Great structure and balance. A bit tight at the moment, but open enough to show the restrained power wrapped in soft and abundant luxury tannins.  Great blackberry and blueberry fruit with roasted coconut, sage, mocha and minerals.  A good long, minerally finish.  Drinking really well now, but I'd put this away for a couple of years.  94+ pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $95 Closure: Conventional Cork

This wine is made by Alvaro Palacios and is named after the nearby town of Corullon.  The hills are very steep and must be worked by traditional methods, mostly the work is performed by hand and horse. Modern winemaking methods come into play to make this great expression of the region.

A very intense and gloriously complex nose of dark berry fruit, minerals, flowers and a touch of pepper and spice.  At this stage the palate is full bodied and structured, it cries out for time in the cellar.  Blackberry and blueberry notes with some animally complexity and minerals in the mouth. Good tannins and it has the acid to live a long time.  A good long finish.  I would avoid opening this for 2-4 years and then enjoy over 5 years.  94 Pts.

Source: Boccaccio Cellars Price: $80 Closure: Conventional Cork