Bodegas Avancia Nobleza Old Vines Mencia 2020
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James
Suckling -
Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker -
Jeb
Dunnuck
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
A field blend from one of the oldest and most heroic vineyards in Valdeorras, Avancia Mencía Viñas Viejas is a small production wine that exemplifies the style of the reds of Valdeorras - ethereal, mineral, floral, lifted, but with a glass staining youthful concentration that sets itself from other Galician reds. As a northern oriented vineyard site, Aeiróa ripens patiently and late in the season, which allows the grapes to maintain high levels of acidity and balance. A percentage of carbonic maceration and stem inclusion brings a crunchy texture and lift to an otherwise powerful wine.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Pretty and fragrant nose, full of dark cherries, wild dark plums, mulberries, blue flowers, wafers and a dusty black-spice note. Generous and supple with medium to full body, coated by a mouthful of powdery tannins that are evenly distributed across the palate. Layered, with some dark-berry and chocolate character on the palate and lots of spices, too. Flavorful finish. Drink or hold.
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Wine Spectator
A medium- to full-bodied version, with a subtle, toasty overtone lacing a fruit-forward range of saturated black currant and boysenberry flavors. Framed by fine, chalky tannins, this is a modern take on the region's signature grape, without being over the top or excessive. Reveals accents of black licorice twist, mocha, mineral and spiced orange peel on the juicy finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Along with the 2019 vintage, I also tasted the 2020 Mencía Viñas Viejas, which is creamy and oaky but feels more harmonious and has finer tannins. It fermented with 33% full clusters in open-top 600-liter oak barrels and matured in used 225-liter barriques, where it also underwent malolactic for eight months. This is quite juicy, ripe and heady, big and powerful but with more balance than previous years. It finishes with notes of black cocoa and espresso coffee.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The old vine cuvée is the 2020 Mencía Viñas Viejas, which is similarly ruby-hued, with vibrant notes of black cherries, peppery herbs, leather, and loamy earth. Medium-bodied on the palate, with ripe yet savory tannins, good balance, and a clean finish, it's going to be a versatile red that will keep for at least 4-5 years.
Other Vintages
2021-
Wine
Enthusiast -
Wilfred
Wong -
Wine
Spectator
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James
Suckling
Bodegas Avancia lies snuggled in the slate dominant mountainsides of Valdeorras, high above the Sil River. Named for the extensive gold mining that the Romans conducted in this area, (Val-de-Oras roughly translates to Valley-of-Gold in Latin) Valdeorras is home to the finest terroir for growing two of Spain’s most important indigenous grapes – Godello and Mencía.
Jorge was the first broker to introduce Godello into the United States, and for many years, was the only merchant offering a wine made from this unique grape. Jorge always dreamed of having his own Godello project, and Bodegas Avancia is the result of this dream. Bodegas Avancia produces the finest Godello wines in all of Spain.
In 2016, Robert Parker, Jr. stated “One of my favorite wineries in Spain is Bodegas Avancia. This is a small estate of roughly 23 acres, dry farmed (a characteristic of all of the selections of Jorge Ordóñez), with organic viticulture. Their specialty is working with the Godello grape, which may well be Spain’s finest indigenous white grape. It has the texture of a Chardonnay, but with crisp, mineral and floral notes in its aromatics. Avancia is certainly the top producer of this intriguing and delicious dry white.” Jorge also selected D.O. Valdeorras due to its unique conditions for growing Mencía, Galicia’s most important red grape. The combination of slate soils, high altitudes, old vines, and warmer climate compared to the rest of Galicia provide Valdeorras with the best terroir for growing Mencía.