2018 Encrucijada
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Tasting notes
The parcel is in Valdecañada. Organic farming. 90% Mencía aged 60–100 years, 10% Palomino (white). North facing at 700 m elevation. Vinified with 100% whole clusters crushed by foot. Fermentation in clay amphorae, gentle maceration with no pumping over. Aged for 9 months in old French barrels. Production: 900 bottles. Very pale ruby colour. Extremely botanical nose: juniper, rosemary, orange peel. The red fruit comes behind. This is a Bierzo turned into a perfume; the profile is crisp and delicately vegetal. Very fresh acidity and aerial texture. I can't stop thinking about how this wine would be with more concentration. (FC)
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Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate
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The 2018 Encrucijada is named after a north-facing vineyard in the village of Valdecañada on red slate soils at 700 meters in altitude. The vineyard was abandoned, and they recovered it, working organically and with some biodynamic principles; they used 0.9 hectares because they only got 900 kilos of grapes. This was the first vineyard they bought in Bierzo. The idea is to vinify separate plots from 2019, the steepest and highest part for this wine and the lower part for the village bottling. The bunches were picked quite late, on the 30th of September, and fermented with 100% stems in tinaja with a 67-day maceration. The wine matured in a 500-liter oak barrel for 10 months. They say this is the one wine where they have found minerality. This is all about finesse, nuance and depth. It has notes of blood orange peel, wild flowers and herbs—more floral than fruit-driven. The tannins are very fine, and there is a chalky-like texture, refined, pure, symmetric, precise. A wine of purity and elegance. This is a very Burgundian red. 600 bottles and 20 magnums were filled in October 2019.