A Portela Mencia 2016

    3.7 Very Good (11)
    2017 Vintage In Stock
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    A Portela Mencia 2016  Front Bottle Shot
    A Portela Mencia 2016  Front Bottle Shot A Portela Mencia 2016  Front Label

    Product Details


    Varietal

    Region

    Producer

    Vintage
    2016

    Size
    750ML

    ABV
    13.5%

    Features
    Green Wine

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    Somm Note

    Winemaker Notes

    This wine is a superb value made from estate-owned grapes from the best 20% of the vineyard land of the Sharon family. The grapes come from the specific high elevation site of A Portela. The mineral character of A Portela gives the wine a special identity.

    Pair this wine with herb-roasted chicken, pork loin, sautéed mushrooms, or even salmon would be divine.

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    A Portela

    A Portela

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    A Portela, Spain
    A Portela Ladera Sagrada soil Winery Image

    A Portela showcases the special terroir of Valdeorras in a rare way, as the region is now known primarily for white wine production. Hailing from the A Portela subdistrict where red grapes can ripen on a rounded hiltop, this aromatic Mencia is a perfect introduction to the hallmark red grape of Galicia produced by the hands of a winemaker who wants to keep the past alive.

    Mencia, the hallmark grape of northwestern Spain, wears many hats. Ranging from rustic and powerful to high-toned and elegant, it is a variety that clearly reflects its terroir. In this case, A Portela comes from DO Valdeorras, the “gateway to Galicia.” Beloved in ancient times as the only place the Romans found that could grow olives so far north on their supply line, Valdeorras is warmer than its neighbors to the west, shielded by mountains from the cold wet winds of the Atlantic. It’s also cooler than its neighbor Bierzo to the east, similarly shielded from hot Continental winds by mountains. While this area is best known for white wine production (particularly Godello), Valdeorras was, historically, home to beautiful reds as well. Winemaker Alberto Orte produces A Portela from a single vineyard, planted to high elevation slate and granite soils. This combination of elevation, soil and temperate climate makes for an elegant, mineral-driven Mencia that carries both generosity of fruit and spice and also precise, elegant acidity. Truly a unique plot, it’s no wonder that the A Portela subdistrict is nicknamed the Gateway to Heaven!

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    Primarily found in the Bierzo, Ribeira Sacra and Valdeorras regions of Spain and in the Dão of Portugal (where it is called Jaen), Mencia is an early ripening, low acid grape that can produce wines of great concentration, complexity and ageability. And yet Mencia once suffered from a poor reputation and deemed capable of producing simple and light red wines. Post-phylloxera growers would grow this variety on low, fertile plains, which produced high yields and uncomplicated finished wines. Somm Secret—The recent rediscovery of the ancient, abandoned vines planted on rugged hillsides of deep schist has unveiled the potential of Mencia and added discredit to its old reputation.

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    Just to the south of Bierzo, the steeply terraced Valdeorras Spanish wine region is a respected source of both red and white wines. Garnacha Tintorera (Alicante Bouschet) and Mencía are the principal red varieties while Godello and Palomino compose the majority of this region's whites.

    CHMAOV3501016_2016 Item# 584297

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