| Type | Red wine |
|---|---|
| Region | |
| Grapes | |
| Producer | |
| Allergens | Contains sulfites |
| Alcohol contenti | 13.0% |
| Production | 100,000 bottles |
El Castro de Valtuille Mencía Joven
2023Freshness and balance from Bierzo
Spec sheet
The wine
What does this wine taste like?
We have here a delicious, expressive Mencía in its purest form; intensely deep purple-red in colour, very much in keeping with this grape. The nose is powerful and rich, yet because the bottle has just been opened, the wine shows some slight off-odours due to reduction that disappear, after a bit of exposure to the air, to release for our appreciation an array of black fruits (blackcurrant, blackberries, cranberries or blueberries) and black olives, enhanced by a distinctly animal, gamey note so typical of the complex wines of Burgundy.
Smooth on the palate, dense and enveloping are three expressions that suitably describe this wine. It has a sensational feel, smooth and rounded, with no tannic rough edges and no green notes.
| Light | Bold | |
|---|---|---|
| Smooth | Tannic | |
| Dry | Sweet | |
| Soft | Acidic |
Drinking and storing
Best served in a Pinot Noir style of glass at a temperature between 14 and 16ºC.
It can be laid down for up to 4 or even 6 years after the harvest date depending on the character of the vintage but is usually at its best two years after bottling.
Serve between 14ºC and 16ºC
Food pairing
Meat rice dishes / Vegetables / Small game / Cooked sausages / Braised vegetables
Ratings and awards
| 2022 | 91+ PK | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 92 PK | ||
| 2020 | 90 PK | 90 PN | |
| 2019 | 91 PK | 90 PN | |
| 2018 | 91+ PK | 91 PN | |
| 2017 | 91 PK | 16.5 JR | 90 PN |
PK: ParkerJR: Jancis
robinsonPN: Peñín
Wine critics reviewsReviews by Parker and Jancis Robinson
Customer reviews
Winemaking
Grapes are harvested early to ensure a perfect equilibrium between freshness and ripeness. After destemming, they ferment in stainless steel tanks. The winery has reduced the number of pump-overs with every vintage, though they do still control the temperature of the process. These methods go a long way to explaining the wine's splendid balance and the fineness of its tannins.
| Vinification material | Stainless steel |
|---|---|
| Ageing period | Between 1 and 3 months |
| Type of wood | Foudre |
Vineyards
Vineyards in Valtuille with a variety of soil types, including sand, chalk and clay, at altitudes between 530 and 628 metres. A continental-Atlantic climate with an annual rainfall of 330 litres. Density of 4,000-8,000 vines per hectare and a yield of around 4,000 kg per hectare.
| Soil | Clay sand |
|---|---|
| Climate | Continental with Atlantic influence |
| Altitude | 560.00 meters |
