César Márquez Las Firmas 2017

The nose of the 2017 Las Firmas, a village Mencía, had a distinct note of licorice and darker fruit than the 2016 I tasted next to it. The palate is medium-bodied with abundant, fine-grained tannins and a long, dry finish. 2017 was the warmest year in the history of Bierzo, and they started harvesting on the 14th of August, something completely unusual. So, Pérez did less extraction and used less stems. The wine might be young and suffering from its recent bottling, but I see great potential here, with more depth than in 2016. 1,200 bottles were filled in December 2018. This will eventually be called Las Firmas de Valtuille “Vino de Villa,” once the new legislation is approved.