The Cult of Spain

Written by Christine Marsiglio MW
Pictured: Bodega y Viñedos Caten. in Argentina, specifically their Adrianna vineyard, produce cult status wines.

Cult Status

Cult wines are the rockstars of the wine world – incredibly rare, fantastically delicious, and often linked to celebrity winemakers, they’re the bottles that wine lovers swoon over and wallets weep for!

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Wine Quiz

Where is the Mencía (aka Jaen) grape most commonly cultivated and what characteristic profile does it typically express?

  1. Ribera del Duero – Black fruit and high tannins
  2. Douro – Stone fruit and high alcohol
  3. Bierzo – Red fruit and floral notes
  4. Alentejo – Liquorice and baked fruit

Scroll down to find out!

Pictured: Page 149 of The Master Guide.

Mencía – The Elegant One

What makes Mencía special is that it has shown the ability to age like other fine wines and it offers rich aromas in the glass. If you love Pinot Noir and other aromatic reds, like Gamay or Schiava, then Mencía is definitely worth investigating.

Explore Mencía

Spanish Wine Find: Mencía

The cool Northwest is the next up-and-coming wine area in Spain. It’s here we find the region of Bierzo and the grape Mencía. This wine packs some serious complexity.

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Pictured: Map of Friuli and North-East Italy from Italian Wine 201

España

Spain has the largest area under vine of any country in the world. It’s also the home to a plethora of indigenous grape varieties, including Mencía. From mountains, to rolling plains, and a coastline on three sides, this Iberian powerhouse is one you need to know more about.

Discover Spain

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Wine Quiz Answer

Answer – #3: Bierzo – Red fruit and floral notes

Mencía is primarily grown in the Bierzo region of Spain. It’s recognized for producing wines with an enticingly fresh flavor profile featuring red fruits and floral notes, distinctively different from other Spanish and Portuguese wine varieties.

Written byChristine Marsiglio MW

Christine Marsiglio is Head Wine Educator and Resident Master of Wine for Folly Enterprises and Wine Folly. Christine is a certified Wine & Spirits Education Trust wine educator, a winner of the Bollinger Medal, and holds an MSc in Oenology and Viticulture from École Supérieure d'Agriculture d'Angers, France.