Luna Beberide Mencia, Bierzo Red

Inky ruby. Primal dark berry aromas are complemented by smoky licorice and herbal and floral nuances. A firm mineral spine supports juicy blackberry and cherry flavors, with dusty tannins adding grip. Becomes sweeter on the finish, leaving behind a strong raspberry quality. I’d give this a year or so to flesh out. Stephen Tanzer

Winery: Bodegas Luna Beberide
Appellation: Bierzo
Average age of vines: 30 years old
Farming Methods: Organic - Certified, Vegan
Maturation: Aged for a few months in stainless steel tanks prior to bottling, no oak
Soil: Calcareous clay
Varietal: Mencia
Vineyard Orientation: South facing slopes | 725-775 meters
Vineyard Size: 70 hectares

Wine	Scores	Downloads	Reviews
Luna Beberide Mencia, Bierzo Red 2021	92 View from the Cellar The 2021 Mencía Luna Beberide arrived just before I finished up this article, and it was a most welcome late arrival to the remaining pile of Spanish wine samples. The wine is a touch cooler in profile than the fine 2020 version, tipping the scales at thirteen percent alcohol and delivering a beautifully refined bouquet of cassis, pomegranate, lead pencil, a complex foundation of soil elements, hints of tree bark and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied and beautifully soil-driven, with a superb core of fruit, tangy acids, fine focus and balance, fine-grained tannins and a long, complex finish. This is more tightly-knit than the 2020 version was out of the blocks, but every bit as high in quality and once again, a superb value. 2028-2055. 91+ Wine Advocate The young red 2021 Mencía is juicy and explosive, floral and showy, produced with the grapes from the valley on clay soils with less stones that express very clearly what the variety is. It doesn’t have great complexity, but it’s delicious, pleasant, varietal and easy to drink. It fermented in stainless steel tanks without adding any type of yeast. The maceration is short, and so is the aging in tank. It’s only 12.9% alcohol and has very good acidity. 125,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in December 2021. 2022-2025 90 OwenBargreen.com The really good ‘M’ offers juicy strawberry and red cherry notes alongside tiled soils on the palate. Fresh and inviting, with loads of lively acidity, enjoy now. Drink 2023-2029.	Bottle Image Label Image Shelf Talker Tech Sheet
Luna Beberide Mencia, Bierzo Red 2024	91+ Wine Advocate I tasted the early-bottled, young and fruit-driven varietal 2024 Mencía from their Valdetruchas estate. It has notes of berries, aromatic herbs and licorice. It has a medium-bodied palate with a velvety texture, contained ripeness, moderate alcohol (13%), a pH of 3.76 and 5.33 grams of acidity, with fine tannins and a slightly chalky feeling. It shows the naked variety, a good introduction to what the grape is. It’s fruity but with freshness and less density, quite different from the other reds. 75,000 bottles produced.	Bottle Image Label Image Tech Sheet