Losada 2008

Losada 2008

Grape varieties: 100% Mencía

Geographical Origin: D.O. Bierzo

Producer: Losada Vinos de Finca

Mencía is a fragrant grape variety with fruit that can offer gorgeous freshness, yet these qualities are too often blitzed by new oak. Losada 2008 is a lovely example of what can be achieved in Bierzo so long as that use of oak is controlled.

It offers us fresh cherries on the nose with just a hint of toast from the oak and a definite menthol lift that’s so characteristic of good-quality Mencía. In the glass it shows a deep, dark core with a youthful, purple rim.

On that palate those cherries provide a definite crunch that looks towards the Atlantic rather than the warm, jammy fruit of other more Mediterranean-oriented Mencías. The mouth-feel is very compact, with a rustic hint to the tannins.

Losada 2008 might be slightly two-dimensional in its effort to preserve fruit and a full body, but it does highlight varietal typicity and dodges that afore-mentioned oaky bullet. This is excellent midweek drinking. Be warned: it does throw a fair old amount of sediment.