2019 Encrucijada
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Tasting notes
90% Mencía, 10% Palomino. Old bush vines in the paraje Encrucijada (Alto de Valdecañada). North-facing vineyard with red slate soils at 700 m above sea level. Organic viticulture. The whole bunches were foot-trodden. Alcoholic fermentation in clay amphorae. Gentle work of maceration and post-fermentation maceration for 67 days. Aged in used 500-litre French oak barrels for 9 months. 600 bottles. Tasted blind. Sweet red fruit, a touch of spicy pepper and a herbal background. Very smooth on the palate, with moderate acidity and medium, well-integrated tannins. I like the fluidity and delicacy of this Mencía. Michelini i Mufatto always look for this finesse. (FC)
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The pale and delicate 2019 Encrucijada is vibrant, finely mineral and nicely textured and comes from very old vines in a place called Encrucijada; it's the only wine that is already certified as a Vino de Paraje (lieu-dit or quarter) from the village of Valdecañada. This is all from north-facing vines, so the grapes are the last to be picked, and it's the most ethereal of their wines. It has a tantalizing nose combining wild berries, herbs and something earthy, with a touch of iron, reminiscent of blood and fresh meat. It's complex and elegant, with 12.5% alcohol, medium-bodied, clean and expressive with refined tannins. They are growing in this zone, so they will vinify separately and maybe bottle separately too... It depends on how the new plots behave. There are 1,200 bottles and 30 magnums. It was bottled in November 2020.