Mengoba Estaladiña 2015

"Still not admitted by the Bierzo appellation, but it eventually will, the 2015 Estaladiña is one of the very few varietal bottlings of the Estaladiña red grape. There are some doubts if it is the same as Merenzao, the local name for Trousseau, because the vines, grapes and wines look different, but it might by a different clone. In any case, the Bierzo DO has asked for its inclusion in the list of varieties in the Ministry of Agriculture. This was sourced from a vineyard in Cacabelos at 550 meters altitude. The full clusters were foot trodden and then put to ferment in two terracotta amphorae, where it was kept until it was bottled nine months later. This is quite different from the previous 2012 I had tasted. There are notes of violets and a minty twist, spicy, balsamic, complex and nuanced. The palate felt balanced and clean, with intense, pungent flavors with a tasty and persistent finish. Only 900 bottles were filled in June 2016."