Mencía : elegant and refined. 

It has its own notoriety and deserve it. Nowadays winemakers are focusing on elegant wines with less extraction, and less oak.

Mencía ID

High quality grapes, native from Spain and Portugal. Mencía produces fine and elegant wines that showcase fragrant and mineral wines, with red and blue fruits with noticeable floral notes, especially violets. Tannins are generally soft, wines are fresh (thanks to a natural acidity). Quality wines have the ability to age with grace.

The DO Bierzo, from Leon, has played a leading role in promoting their main black grape variety that represents almost 75% of all the planted grapes in the DO. It is often blended with local varieties such as Garnacha Tintorera, Estaladiña (also called pan y carne) and Merenzao (also known as maria Ordoña, Bastardo or Trousseau in eastern France!)

The up and coming red wines from Galicia are enjoying a revival thanks, principally, to Mencia. Dominio DO Bibei yields several wines in the DO Ribeira Sacra : Lalama, Lacima… Sometimes blended, sometime not!

In Valdeorras, it shares ground with its white partner Godello. Jorge Ordoñez elaborate 2 great wines, using mencia at 100%.

In Portugal, it is grown in Dao and in the world famous Douro region. Although it carries another name: Jaen de Dao, or simply Jaen.

For many years, Mencía has been related to Cabernet Franc, but a recent research has demonstrated that it could be a natural crossing of local Portuguese varieties : Alfrocheiro X Patarra.

For years many wine-makers were abusing of oak, extraction and picking their grapes too late, in order to achieve an international style that has, obviously, overshadowed its true character.

Low yielding variety, with a fairly thick skin and a small cluster, it is highly susceptible to Botrytis and Mildew (Fungus). Unlike, tempranillo that is now planted in many places outside Spain (Australia, Southern France…), a tiny plot of Mencía has been recently planted in California, in the Lodi AVA, and apart from that it is seldom used in the new world.

We carry various Mencía wines, but do not hesitate to contact us if you are looking for specific one.