Castro de Lobarzán “I_S” Mencía Red 2013

The 2013 Castro de Lobarzán “I_S” Mencía Red is a silky and beautifully integrated expression of Monterrei terroir and indigenous red grapes, deftly aged in barrel. The Mencía-based blend includes scarce grapes Araúxa and Bastardo, a grape which Castro de Lobarzán has singlehandedly revived in the area. The bright nose is fragrant with ripe, sour cherry and layers of mineral and charcoal nuance, accented with notes of vanilla and spice. The palate is smooth and medium to full-bodied with a lively attack. Red cherry and plum skin flavors meld with hints of violet and refined mineral and oak tones. Harmonious with fine tannins that ride into a long finish.

Castro de Lobarzán’s “I_S” wines are very limited editions, sourced from the estate’s best vines, utilizing especially low yields, and are only made in the the best vintages. Castro de Lobarzán is a small family winery built out of the grit, sand and soil of their vineyards in the village of Villaza in the Monterrei appellation in the region of Galicia, in the northwest corner of Spain. Their terroir-driven, mineral-oozing wines are made exclusively from grapes grown in their own vineyards, which they painstakingly tend, employing natural practices and a non interventionist philosophy.