Volandia 2017

The red 2017 Volandia is pure Mencía from old vines in the Amandi subzone of Ribeira Sacra. 2017 was marked by frost, followed by warm and dry weather, and the grapes ripened early, so they had to pick sooner than normal to avoid excess ripeness. They managed to bottle this at 13% alcohol and with good freshness. They put the grapes through a cold soak, after which they fermented at low temperature. The wine matured in 400-liter oak barrels for 12 months followed by some time in stainless steel and nine months in bottle before being released. This has some creaminess and smoky, spicy notes, most likely from the élevage in oak, which gives it a less-obvious Galician profile; and it's a shame, because I think it would show much better with less influence from the oak. The wine has contained ripeness, character and a medium body and supple flavors. 2,700 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2019.