- Region
- Bierzo
- Producer
- Bodega César Márquez
- Vintage
- 2022
- Grape varieties
- 85% Mencía
- 10% Alicante Bouschet
- Bottle size
- 75 cl
- Alcohol
- 13%
- Classification
- DO
- Special characteristic
- Contains sulphites
Every plot is fermented and matured as a separate batch. Wild-yeast fermentation (50% whole-bunch pressing) takes place in stainless steel vats and 225- and 500-litre barrels. The various batches are left to macerate for anything from 17 to 60 days. After blending, the wine spends 12 months in (225- and 500-litre) used oak barrels before being bottled without fining or filtration.
Ripe berry fruit, fresh Mediterranean herbs, liquorice, and smoky hints on the nose. Fine tannins on a medium-bodied palate of great depth and complexity. Spicy notes on a long finish.
The grapes – Mencía and Alicante Bouschet, with local native varieties making up the remaining 5% or so of the blend – come from old bush vines, some of which are over 100 years of age, situated in around 45 different plots across seven villages. The soils are a mix of clay, sand and slate. The climate is continental with a slight Atlantic influence.