Verónica Ortega ROC Mencía 2023
Crianza red wine from El Bierzo. Mencía from centenary vines with a dollop of Palomino and Doña Blanca aged for 12 months in French oak barrels.
Details
Verónica Ortega ROC Mencía 2023
The wine Verónica Ortega ROC Mencía was the first wine made by the talented Verónica Ortega upon arriving in the DO Bierzo. Today, fifteen years later, Ms Ortega is one of Spain's most accomplished oenologists, whose wines enjoy a cult reputation among connoisseurs throughout the world.
This small-batch Vino de Villa de Valtuille is sourced from two parcels, El Couso and La Rata, planted over 100 years ago with Mencía vines and roughly 10% of Palomino and Doña Blanca. The plots have soils of clay and sand that provide a compelling floral character and to this Spanish red wine.
The grapes went through a full-cluster fermentation in a 5,000-litre open wooden vat, performing soft pigeages along the process for a very gentle extraction of colour and tannin. After going through the malo in vats and barrels, this red wine from El Bierzo was aged for around 12 months in 228-litre French oak barrels.
Finally, the red wine Verónica Ortega ROC Mencía 2023 was bottled in March 2025 and stored for over a year before being released onto the market.
5,800 bottles produced.
We suggest that you gently aerate this Crianza red wine before drinking.
| Appearance | The red wine Verónica Ortega ROC Mencía is pale purple with some ruby-coloured reflections. |
|---|---|
| Nose | Showing impressive complexity and nuance, this blend of old-vine Mencía, Palomino and Doña Blanca boasts an exquisite bouquet of aromatic herbs and red flowers, with sour cherries and red berries, a subtle mineral background and some pitch-perfect spicy notes of clove, cardamom and liquorice. |
| Palate | Fresh, self-assured and weightless, this wine by Verónica Ortega has some exquisite, fine-grained tannins and vibrant earthy undercurrent, conveying an deep sense of place and an overall feeling of purity. Finish is phenomenally long and expressive. |
| Our personal opinion | Chiseled, precise and more Burgundian than most Burgundies, the wine Verónica Ortega ROC Mencía 2023 is something really special. |
| OTHER VINTAGES | Verónica Ortega ROC Mencía 2022: Enterwine 95. Parker 95. Verónica Ortega ROC Mencía 2021: Parker 96. |
| Year | 2023 |
| Type | Red |
| D.O. | Bierzo |
| Bottle size | 75 cl |
| Percentage of Alcohol | 12.9 |
| Serving tempurature | 15-17ºC |
| Should this wine be decanted? | 30 minutes before serving |
| Does this wine follow the guidelines of biodynamic Farming? | No |
| Organic | No |
| Is this product free of sulfites? | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Ageing | Crianza |
| Type of ageing | Months in French oak barrels |
| Number of months aged in Barrels | 12 |
| Parker's Score | 96 |
| Enterwine's Score | 96 |
| Media rating | 96 |
| Other guides | Tim Atkin: 97 points. |
| Percentage of variety | Mencía, Palomino, Doña Blanca. |
| Pairings | Birds, Civet, Cured cheeses, Game animals, Grilled red meats, Red meat with gravy, Roasted foods, Roasted red meats, Rosted piglet, Specialty Spanish prosciutto , Stews |
| Taste | Complex and Elegant, Silky and intense, Tasty with barrel notes, Very intense and inky |
| Occasion | A special occasion, Because you deserve it, Romantic Dinner, To bring to an engagement |
| Red Grapes | Mencía |
