2018 Finca Meixeman

The 2018 Finca Meixeman comes from one of their oldest vineyards and was produced with the varietal blend in the vineyard—80% Mencía and 20% Brancellao, Merenzao, Garnacha, Mouratón, Negreda and Sousón. Most of the reds from 2018 are 13% alcohol, which is lower than in the past and achieved through picking earlier. It fermented with 55% full clusters in closed vats, with a total maceration time of 50 days. It spent six months in 5,000-liter oak vats and then was transferred to used 225- and 500-liter French oak barrels for malolactic and 12 to 13 months aging. This is serious and a little closed, more in the direction of the Capeliños than the Pombeiras. But the palate is impressive, very complete, harmonious, pungent and vibrant. 2018 was a return to the style after a catastrophic 2016 vintage with hail and the 2017 vintage when the vines were recovering. This is from the lower part of A Ponte, with granite and slate soils, and it's a little more powerful. It's really impressive, one of the finest. There are around 7,000 bottles of this. It was bottled in April 2020. No 2016 was bottled, like most of the wines from that year, when they were hit by a big hailstorm.