Pronunciations – Men-thee-ah
Mencia is grown exclusively in the Iberian Peninsula, in Spain and Portugal. In Portugal it is known as Jaen and it is grown mostly in the Dao wine region. However Mencia is better known for being planted in the region of Galicia, with the more known subregions being Bierzo DO, Ribeira Sacra DO, Valdeorras DO and Monterrei DO.
It is mostly produced as a still dry red wine.
Mencia Tasting Notes
Primary Notes – Floral (Rose) Red fruit (Cherry, Sour cherry) Mineral (Stone, Gravel)
Secondary Notes – Oak (Smoke, Cloves, Vanilla)
Tertiary Notes – With age it develops leather, meat, tobacco, coffee.
Body – Medium to Full body
Palate – Sweetness – Dry; Acidity – Medium to High; Tannin – Medium to High;
Typical ABV% – 13.5-15%
Mencia Styles
Mencia is grown and produced in Spain and Portugal, mostly as still dry red wine and still dry rose wine.
Red wines tend to be deep in intensity and a ruby red color, with red and black fruit flavors and aromas, with hints of floral and mineral aromas on the nose. They are dry and medium to full bodied.
Rose wines tend to be pink in color, with a medium intensity. Fruit forward and floral, these wines are dominated by grapefruit, pomegranate and red fruit flavors.
Mencia Classifications
Mencia is grown in a couple of appellations in Spain and Portugal, mostly in the regions of Galicia, Dao and a bit in Beira Interior. Most known Spanish Denominacion de Origen are:
-Bierzo DO
-RIbeira Sacra DO
-Valdeorras DO
-Monterrei DO
Portuguese Denominação de Origem Controlada are:
-Dao DOP
-Beira Interior DOP
When To Drink Mencia
Mencia is a versatile grape variety and you can drink it on many occasions. When it comes to food try having Mencia with richer meat dishes such as turkey, duck, pork, beef, wild game.
You can drink it with cheese, but make sure that the cheeses are more intensely flavored so that they can stand up to the intensity of the wine.
Mencia Serving Temperature – 55-60 degrees (12-15 ºC)
Best Years To Drink Wine Mencia
Mencia has a great aging potential and can go on for a long time. Good structure, tannins and acidity help in the aging process of Mencia. Keep it for ten years or more.
When young the ripe fruit will be most expressive with a nice florality on the nose.
When aged it tends to develop complex aromas of leather, game, meat, tobacco, coffee, cedar and the fruit develops more into dried fruit aromas.
Mencia Average Prices
Given the fact that Mencia is relatively less known and that Spanish wines in general don’t have crazy prices, you can get a bottle of really good Mencia for a relatively low price.
In some cases it goes over 20$ but most of the time it will be around that price.
Mencia Nutrition Facts
A glass of a medium to full bodied red wine has more or less around 125 calories and 3.8 grams of carbohydrates. A bottle will roughly have 625 calories and 19 grams of carbohydrates.
Fun Facts About Mencia
Mencia was thought to be related to Cabernet Franc until recent studies proved it is the same grape variety as Jaen in Portugal and not even closely related to Cabernet Franc.
The rise of Mencia on the world wine stage can be attributed to a man called Alvaro Palacios, who came from Priorat and gave Mencia a breath of fresh air, producing stellar wines from old vineyards.
