Pétalos 2021
Bierzo, Descendientes de J. Palacios, 1500 ml
Everything flows
- An excellent Mencía from Bierzo by Álvaro Palacios and his nephew Ricardo – a red wine for every occasion.
- A bouquet of raspberry, thyme and vanilla. Juicy, silky, berry-like, fresh.
- Perfect with a barbecue, a cheese platter, and even with pizza or pasta.
Description
It tickles the palate just like the flower petals that give it its name! With the Pétalos, Álvaro Palacios and his nephew Ricardo have created an excellent everyday red wine in Bierzo from the native Mencía grape. The bouquet reveals aromas of raspberry, thyme and delicate vanilla. On the palate, it is juicy, silky and fresh, with an invigorating berry character. A charming introduction to the region offering excellent value for money. A versatile companion for any occasion – whether with a barbecue, a cheese platter or even pizza and pasta. The winemaker’s tip: serve at 14 °C.
Attributes
| Grape variety: | Mencia, Weisse Autochthone |
| Producer: | Descendientes de J. Palacios, S.L. |
| Origin: | Spain / Castilla y León / Bierzo |
| Ripening potential: | 2 to 10 years |
| Drinking temperature: | 16 to 18 °C |
| Food Pairing: | Latin American dishes, Spiced grillades, Rabbit ragout with olives, Hot vegetable curries |
| Vinification: | partly destemmed, fermentation in steel tank |
| Harvest: | strict selection |
| Maturation: | in partly new and used barriques/ Pièces |
| Bottling: | no filtration |
| Maturation duration: | 9 months |
| Volume: | 13.5 % |
| Note: | Contains sulphites |
Descendientes de J. Palacios, S.L.
In the late 1990s, Álvaro Palacios came to Bierzo in search of a new challenge after having achieved great success in the Priorat. Bierzo, in the far northwest of Castilla y León, awaited him with its wild, craggy landscape where heather, rock roses and holly oaks dominate the flora, with its climatic and geological characteristics, and with the fascinating grape variety Mencía.
His first experience with this native grape variety was with the Pérez Perreira family at their Castro Ventosa winery in the village of Valtuille de Abajo. In 1999, he teamed up with his nephew Ricardo Pérez Palacios, known as Titín, to found the Bodega Descendientes de J. Palacios in the municipality of Corullón.
Mencia
Mysterious origin, today widespread
Mencia is a red, Spanish variety currently cultivated on an area of around 10,000 hectares. The origin of Mencia has not been definitively determined. It was long surmised that this vine was a mutation of the French Cabernet Franc, which came via the Way of St. James to Bordeaux. Nowadays, it is assumed that the Mencia cultivar is descended from an autochthonous native variety. Mencia is widespread throughout Galicia and Castile, and is confined almost exclusively to northwestern Spain.
Red wine derived from Mencia grapes is usually rather pale, intense in the nose, and smooth and fresh in the mouth.
Bierzo
Bierzo: to the top with the Mencia variety
At the beginning of the 90s, the Bierzo region, which is crossed by the Camino de Santiago, was barely known in the international wine scene. It was only when new residents and investors began to bottles top crus from selected slopes, which perfectly united finesse and force, that interest in this region and its primary variety grew. This variety, Mencia, is considered one of the highest quality red wine varieties in the Iberian Peninsula.
Castilla y León
Castile and León: Increasing diversity
Only 30 years ago, the autonomous region of Castile and León was an almost blank spot on the European wine list. This has changed immensely thanks to three grape varieties. The Tempranillo variety yields feisty, strong wines in Ribera del Duero and Toro. And Bierzo, the small wine area in the region's northwest, has experienced an impressive ascent, thanks to the character-laden Mencia variety. Finally, the fresh and fruity Verdelho pressings from Rueda have become the most successful Spanish white wines.
Spain
Spain – Variety and perfection
“Somewhere in la Mancha, in a place whose name I do not care to remember...,” begins Don Quixote's odyssey.
The most famous part is definitely when Don Quixote thinks windmills are his enemy and wants to fight them – until they nearly kill him. It’s possible there was a bit too much of the La Mancha wine at play. Spanish vines fight for their survival in rugged landscapes, battling fierce drought and rough soils. But they fight well.
