Michelini i Mufatto 2021 'En el Camino' Mencia, Bierzo

Michelini i Mufatto 2021 'En el Camino' Mencia, Bierzo

Item Number: 18233

UPC: 8-437020633093

Country: Spain
Region: Castilla y Leon
Sub Region: Bierzo
Appellation/AVA: Bierzo DO
Estate Grown Wine: Yes
Vintage: 2021
Grape(s): 90% Mencia / 10% Blend of Palomino, Doña Blanca, and Alicante Bouschet
Type: Wine - Red
Bottle Size: 750 ml
Pack: 12
Closure: Cork
Alc by Vol(%): 12.5
Viticulture: Practicing Organic
Soil Type: Slate, stone, and clay

Vine Age: 100-year-old goblet-pruned vineyards
Farming: Organic with biodynamic principles
Harvest: Manual

Winemaking Notes: En el Camino is produced using 50% whole clusters and 50% destemmed fruit. Short maceration occurs, followed by spontaneous fermentation with native yeast and a subsequent 10-month aging in clay jars.

About Bierzo: The Bierzo D.O. was established in 1989. Today there are only 74 commercial wineries in the region, and not all export to the USA. There are 5,800 acres under vines, which are fragmented tiny plots of old vines on steep hillside and hilltop locations. Mencia makes up around 75% of all plantings. The soils are primarily slate and granite on the slopes with sand and clay near the valley floor. The appellation is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean while protected from extreme weather by the Leon and Cantabrian mountain ranges.

Reviews

  • The Wine Advocate
    Rating: 93+ (8/10/2023)

    2021 was a cold year with snow, plenty of rain and some mildew pressure that delivered a slim 2021 En el Camino, a blend of Mencía and 10% other grapes (Palomino, Doña Blanca and Alicante Bouschet) from different vineyards mostly on clay and quartz soils. It fermented with 30% full clusters and indigenous yeasts and matured in a 50/50 combination of oak casks and stainless steel. It's very perfumed, expressive and open, elegant and balanced, fine-boned and seductive, very clean and defined.