Michelini i Mufatto 2021 'A Merced' Mencia, Bierzo

Michelini i Mufatto 2021 'A Merced' Mencia, Bierzo

Item Number: 19917

UPC: 8-437020633192

Country: Spain
Region: Castilla y Leon
Sub Region: Bierzo
Appellation/AVA: Bierzo DO
Estate Grown Wine: Yes
Vintage: 2021
Grape(s): 100% Mencia
Type: Wine - Red
Bottle Size: 750 ml
Pack: 12
Closure: Cork
Alc by Vol(%): 13.5
Viticulture: Practicing Organic
Soil Type: Schist, slate and quartz
Elevation: 600 meters

Vine Age: 80-year-old goblet-pruned vineyards
Farming: Organic with biodynamic principles
Harvest: Manual

Vintage Notes: 2021 was a cold year, the coldest since Michelini i Mufatto arrived in El Bierzo. The vintage had good humidity, which translated into wines with a more continental character, narrow on the palate, but with a fine tannic structure and more present acidity.

Winemaking Notes: Grapes are foot-treaded (pigeage à pied). 50% whole clusters and 50% destemmed grapes are fermented with native yeast in wooden vats through gentle maceration, neither carrying out pressing nor pumping over techniques. A long maceration in contact with the pomace and pulp is followed by a year of aging in used 225L French barrels.

94 Points (2022 vintage), Vinous, February 2025
The 2022 A Merced is 100% Mencia from San Lorenzo del Bierzo, fermented with 50% whole clusters. Pure and clean, it shows orange 'petit four', cherry and freshly crushed plum aromas on the nose. The palate features balsamic notes of bay leaf, wild herbs, violet and lavender. Hints of mint emerge over time. Bright and expressive, the 2022 is lean, detailed and fresh without relying on acidity.

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: 95 (8/10/2023)
    The 2021 A Merced is surprisingly a little higher in alcohol than the 2020 I tasted next to it, despite the much cooler year. It fermented with 50% foot-trodden whole clusters in 1,000-liter oak casks with indigenous yeasts and a long maceration. It matured in used 225-liter French oak barrels for one year. It's a little earthy but also floral and elegant, combining that wild side that seems to be inherent to this place, as I've noticed it in the last few vintages. It's quite expressive and showy, very complete and balanced. 10,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in October 2022. Drink 2023-2031.