Raul Perez Valdecanada Mencia, Bierzo, Spain 2018 Syrah He sorted the 100%-destemmed fruit

He sorted the 100%-destemmed fruit and fermented the grapes with indigenous yeasts

and the slightest hints of oak

and a hint of minty herbaceousness at the very end

all inlaid with warm ganache and smoldering tobacco accents

Raul Perez Valdecanada Mencia, Bierzo, Spain 2018 Syrah He sorted the 100%-destemmed fruitValdecaada is Ral Prez's high elevation village cuve a field blend grown on schist at altitude in the hills above Ponferrada, and a wine quite unlike anything in his Ultreia or La Vizcana projects. Predominantly Menca with a meaningful proportion of old vine Palomino, fermented with whole bunches and raised in neutral barrique, it trades power for precision: suave and tense, with a perceptible stoniness through the mid palate and a savory salinity