La Penitencia 2014

Both reds from Ribeira Sacra are sold without the appellation of origin, starting with the impressive and aromatic 2012 La Penitencia (the penitence, which follows 'el pecado', the sin...), sourced from the Pombeiras vineyard from Guímaro. A field blend of 70-year-old vines, it has a majority of Mencía complemented by other red grapes Caíño, Sousón, Brancellao, Merenzao, Negreda, Garnacha and Mouratón as the whites are not included in the wine. The full clusters ferment with indigenous yeasts in open barrels where the wine completes malolactic and one year upbringing before bottling. The nose jumps from the glass with a combination of violets and orange blossom aromas (it sometimes made me think of a Touriga Nacional with the explosive nose hinting on Moscatel). It is elegant and harmonious with bare hints of spices and no traces of its élevage. The palate is medium-bodied, with silky tannins that are velvety and soft, making it feel deceptively approachable, but when you swallow you realize that you are in front of the proverbial iron fist in the velvet glove. A tour de force red and the most elegant expression of Ribeira Sacra (even when the label doesn't mention it!).