Petalos 2020

Description

The medium body of this magnificent Mencia won’t need food to satisfy; the delectable array of flavors and its fresh, balanced nature will do that all by itself. Did we mention it’s a great price for this Parker rating??! If you felt like whipping something up, the beautiful balance and subtle wow of this Petalos would go beautifully with mushroom toasts, or Italian-style chicken liver crostini with caramelized, thin-sliced shallots on top. And that could be all you need… Pan-roasted chicken with garlic, white wine and rosemary would be a terrific partner for this P̩etalos if you needed something more. Or grilled pork tenderloin with mustard and tarragon. Your choice. But as they say in Spain, no se lo pierda winelovers!! Pull on those shopping boots and go to town!Robert Parker, Jr.’s Wine Advocate: “The regional red 2020 Pétalos comes from 90 hectares of vineyards, mainly from Corullón and Villafranca del Bierzo and the districts of Viariz, Hornija, Valtuille de Abajo and Otero. It mixes expositions, altitudes and soils and wants to paint a picture of Bierzo in the warm 2020 vintage. They reckon it’s 92% Mencía with 5% other red grapes (Alicante Bouschet, Gran Negro, Pan y Carne and Negreda) and 3% whites (Valenciana, Jerez and Godello) with an average yield of 26 hectoliters per hectare. The grapes were picked from August 28th to September 24th and fermented partly destemmed in stainless steel and oak vats with indigenous yeasts for 43 days with a slow malolactic fermentation that lasted two months. The wine matured in barrel for around eight months (malolactic was fast, and the wines were put in barrel early) and was bottled unclarified, unfiltered and non-stabilized with cold. It has good ripeness with 14% alcohol (their upper limit) and moderate acidity at 4.6 grams (of tartaric acid). It’s a little more fruit-driven, a vintage of sun, jovial and juicy, approachable and round with very fine, slightly powdery tannins. The fruit is darker than in the 2019. This is still young, and, as it happens with even the most approachable wines from the region, it should be even better in a couple of years. I tasted it again in mid-December, and the wine is showing better and better; time in bottle has done it some good, and the wine has settled and is getting more balanced. I don’t feel the sun now; it’s harmonious and more serious, juicy and tasty. A little better than anticipated. Drink date: 2022-2027.” Jan 2022Bottle:750ml, cork Varietal:Mencia Alcohol %: ~14.0% Aging:12 months in 2nd and 3rd use oak barrels Region:Bierzo, Spain