Every Sunday, with an educational edge, I explore specific appellations or sub-regions, taking you along for the ride. If it’s old news, then brush up on some fading facts; if it’s uncharted territory, why not learn something new? If you know something I haven’t mentioned, then feel free to comment and share your experiences. Check out past Sunday posts here.
Bierzo is yesterday’s news. Wine writers have been prophesizing its rise for over four years, but this past week marked the first instance that I understood what the noise was about.
A remote collection of valleys in the Northwestern Spanish province of León, Bierzo lies just above the northeast corner of the inset Portuguese rectangle. Close to 60 wineries produce from 4,000 hectares (10,000 acres) of planted vines on diverse soils (lots of slate and gravel) spanning 23 municipalities including the largest and picturesque town of Ponferrada.
Map credit to pour-favor.com
Admirably, Bierzo DO lawmakers have stuck behind their local grapes instead of allowing the indigenous to be replaced with the popular (Tempranillo, Garnacha, or Cariñena). Mencía is the main red grape, recently myth-busted by DNA testing as being a kin of Cab Franc, and Garnacha Tintorera, a dark fleshed grape also called Alicante. Bierzo law allows “experimental” grapes to make up less than 15% of the blend - Tempranillo, Merlot, and Cab Sauv. Although I still haven’t seen or tasted white Bierzo, the grapes are Doña Blanca, Godello, and Palomino, with experimentals Malvasía, Chardonnay, and Gewürztraminer. Lets keep those at 15%. Selfish, but I haven’t been yearning for new sources of Cabernet or Chardonnay anytime recently.
Like many ancient vineyard regions, Bierzo was first an agricultural and mining hub of the Romans and has been a Spanish recognized Denominación de Origen since 1989.
Image credit spittoon.biz
The prices are creeping up as word continues to get out and high profile producers continue to muddle around here. This isn’t the next well for cheap Spanish wine, but rather something more serious; the next Priorat or Ribera del Duero. Unlike these Spanish greats, Bierzo has something unique - the chance to prove itself with grapes no one else is growing.
Álvaro Palacios is a big name in Spain and especially in Priorat. Teaming with his nephew Ricardo Pérez, they’ve been staking claims here since 1999. Keep an eye out for his Pétalos label. Another name known for quality, Dominio de Tares, became established as recently as 2000 and is now one of the bigger producers in town.
The Dominio de Tares ‘05 Cepas Viejas (Old Vines) comes from 60 year old bush-trained Mencía vines and is fermented and aged for 9 months in both American and French oak.
This wine is a beautiful marriage between fresh vibrant berry fruit and an earthy funk - hay and barns (what I consider to be an attractive stroke of bret). Graphite and some sweet American oak aromas. Medium weight, a belt of dusty tannin, and great complexities that evolve on your palate and in your glass. Ahhh! I now see. Delicious stuff.
Seek it out. Marquis in Vancity is where I found this bottle for $35. Oddly, it’s showing up in the BCLDB for $60. Maybe a different label? Other Bierzos offered by the BCLDB, including the Pétalos here.
Vaynerchuk on Bierzo
As always, please feel free to contribute any information, experience or tasting notes that you feel are relevant and check back next Sunday. Read past Sunday posts here.
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7 Responses:
March 7th, 2010 at 9:59 am
Hey Jake,
Thanks for a spotlight on this great region. I was in Cacabelos and it is a beautiful town filled with several great producers. I import the 2007 Mencia from Luna Beberide - $17.99 at BCLDB (+860684) 40 year old vines - a real bargain.
The region is an old Roman goldmining area (there’s an incredible National Park called “Las Medulas” - kind of like a Spanish Grand Canyon). Lot’s of red soil there over slate - this what gives the Mencia such great acidity.
I always compare the grape as a sort of hybrid style between Pinot noir and Cabernet Franc.
There is a low-lying part of the region down by the river - flatter land, lots of fog and more chance for rot and then the higher altitude, steeper vineyards that are the most desireable. Great region along the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela.
The region also produces some stellar white wines from Godello grape.
March 7th, 2010 at 10:57 pm
I’d love to find one of the whites for my Spain spotlight. Otherwise, interesting post. I’ve yet to find a mencia I love yet, but will keep looking.
March 8th, 2010 at 5:27 pm
Shea,
Sorry, I don’t know you - are you in Vancouver?
If so, Kitsilano WIne Cellar might still have some of the Luna Beberide Godello I special-ordered for them. Really cool wine - 6 months on the lees - like a Viognier with way better acidity.
March 9th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
Yep, I’m in Vancouver. I will ask matt if they have it, and if so, I’ll buy that and write about it - sounds fantastic.
March 10th, 2010 at 9:54 pm
Bierzo, the one I had from marquis oh couple months ago was fantastic and it was under 20$
March 18th, 2010 at 10:48 pm
Khristian, if you are still reading these comments, I picked up the Godello. I’ll be reviewing it within the next couple of weeks.
March 28th, 2010 at 11:06 pm
[...] I’d also note that Jake over at Cherries and Clay wrote up another Mencia based wine from de Tares that sounded quite delicious – check it out. [...]