Wine Review: Pagos de Galir Mencía 2016

I've got two wines lined up for review by Pagos de Galir. First it's the 2016 Mencía that I'm reviewing right now and then up next is the 2017 Godello. Unfortunately these will be rather quick due to time constraints when they had to be written.

From www.VirgenDelGalir.com: The Virgen del  Galir winery was founded in 2002 in a valley of the Galir river, in Éntoma, a small village in Orense, Galicia, Northern Spain. The “Camino de Santiago” crosses through this village. Virgen del Galir is a member of the Valdeorras DO. This semi-forgotten region has extraordinary vineyards. Virgen del Galir owns 20 hectares of vineyards on practically as many plots, on a valley of the Galir river. Altitude is over 600m. The ground is made up almost entirely of decomposed schist on terraces.

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Wine Review: Godelia Mencia Bierzo 2012

In the southwestern portion of Spain, north of the Portuguese border, is the Spanish wine region of Bierzo. Outside the village of Cacebelos is Bodegas Godelia and their eighty-six acres of estate vineyard on decomposed quartzite and slate soil. They also have thirty-seven acres farmed under contract. I'm reviewing two of their wines this weeks: the 2015 Godello-Doña Blanco and the 2012 Mencia.

Godelia considers themselves an artisan winery. All of their grapes are harvested by hand and chilled for twenty-four to fourty-eight hours at 23°F. The white grapes are pressed while still semi-frozen, while the reds are cold-soaked and destemmed first.

First thing's first: I'm the realest. Second: Mencia is pronounced "Menthia". Third: it's red. Mencia is mostly found in Bierzo, but also Ribeira Sacra, Valdeorras, and Liébana. And it's currently enjoying some good times in popularity over there in Spain, with more and more wineries producing it and more and more consumers enjoying it.

Godelia's 2012 Mencia is 100% Mencia, saw twelve months in oak, and has a 14.5% ABV. Now let's do some drinking! Don't fret, I promise not to make any more Clueless references in this review.

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