Bodegas Virgen del Galir A Villeira Mencia 2020
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James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Clean and bright cherry red color. The nose is intense, aromatic, with floral and mineral notes. The palate is fresh, with good acidity, concentration and a long, elegant finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This is a delicious, medium-bodied and elegant red with plenty of wild berries, purple flowers, stems and seashells. Mineral and vibrant. Very bright with sleek tannins. Wild and racy finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The red 2020 A Villeira was produced with a blend of Mencía and some Garnacha Tintorera, Brancellao, Sousón and Merenzao from a plot on granite soils in the zone of As Ermitas in the westernmost part of Valdeorras where the soils are granite, sand, slate and quartz on 0.4 hectares planted in 1958 on 12 small terraces at 700 meters in altitude. There is an old, small winery in the process of being restored, and they plan to ferment the wines from As Ermitas there. 2020 was an early harvest, but the wine is still 13.5% alcohol and has a pH of 3.35. It fermented in 500-liter oak barrels, where it matured for 12 months. This is meaty and juicy, floral, rustic and elegant, a little in the style of a northern Rhône, subtle and harmonious, elegant and powerful. It's dry and fresh, with fine-grained tannins and good precision. It has energy and depth with the electric minerality from the granite. It has a really captivating nose.
Rating: 93+
The Virgen del Galir winery is located in Éntoma, a small village in Orense. It has been part of the CVNE family since 2018. The Galir Valley falls under the Valdeorras DO (designation of origin). The winery’s philosophy is to make wines that reflect the values of the land whilst respecting local traditions. This begins with the winery’s name, a tribute to Our Lady of Galir, the protector of the region’s vineyards.
In recent years, several vineyards have been replanted and recovered in the Galir and Bibei Valleys to produce a complete range of villa (“terroir”), parcela (plot of land) and gran cru wines. The white wines of Virgen del Galir are made with grapes from the Galir Valley, an area with a lot of slate and vineyards at high altitude. The red wines are harvested from vines grown on granite soil, from plots in the Galir and Bibei Valleys.
The Virgen del Galir team is young and dynamic, closely linked to the environment and traditions of this place, with extensive knowledge of the area. Miguel Tienda and the oenologist Jorge Navascues are responsible for heading up the team and contribute their extensive experience in the wine sector and their great ideas to a project with a promising future.