Casar de Burbia Mencía 2020

Forty-year-old vines planted in the clay estates of the Valtuille de Arriba valley produce the grapes behind the Casar de Burbia range of wines. The Mencia grapes used for the Casar de Burbia 2015 come from Finca Valdepiñeiro, a wonderful hillside plot at an altitude of 600 metres. The fruit was harvested manually and underwent a cold pre-maceration process to draw out its most delicate aromas. The must was then fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks before being left to stand on its fine lees for two months. It was then aged in French oak barrels for twelve months. The result of this process is a pure Mencia varietal wine with a striking and dense violet colour. The high quality of the grapes gives it its fruitiness while the oak brings vanilla and caramel creaminess. It is extremely pleasant in the mouth with very fine tannins and a rounded sensation thanks, partly, to the clay soils of its vineyards. Delicate vegetal tones appear in colder vintages, adding freshness to the more usual taste of wild fruit (raspberries), cherries, violets, fallen leaves and smoky hints. It is robust, fresh, and mature on drinking; a reasonably spicy and mineral wine full of life. An excellent example of this cellar’s wines, it is both complex and direct with clear features such as its acidity and tannins which indicate this is a wine which will keep well too. The versatility of its outstanding harmony means it pairs perfectly with many dishes, as well as being the ideal wine for a casual get-together with friends.