Pazo do Mar Monterrei Alma de Autor Mencia-Arauxa 2021

 

 

Elegant red wine from Galicia. Bright red in color, intense in scent with ripe red fruit, vanilla, oak and spicy, smoky nuances. The taste structure is fresh, juicy evolution with light tannin in the aromatic aftertaste. Great with not too spicy dishes from the grill or from the oven.

 

With his light-colored, red Alma de Autor, Manuel Mendez makes a beautiful Galician wine with the finesse that is so characteristic of Atlantic wine growing in northern Spain. Although still relatively unknown, Monterrei is a rapidly emerging appellation in Galicia with high-altitude vineyards.

Nearly 70% of production is white wine, but here on the border between Atlantic and Mediterranean influence, the potential for quality red wine is promising. Manuel shows that. For his Alma de Autor he selects approximately 60% mencía and 40% arauxa (the local name for tempranillo) from a plot of 50-year-old vines.

The grapes are only picked by hand in the second week of October, then briefly soaked with the skins and fermented using the 'wild' yeast types that are found on the skins of the grapes, among other things. After this, the wine matures for 12 months in small wooden barrels of French and American oak.

Alma de Autor has the finesse of a good Pinot Noir or Spätburgunder, smells and tastes seductive and has a pleasant freshness. Combines nicely with grilled meat and chicken from the oven, but also tastes good on its own, outside of the meal.