Avanthia Rosé 2011

Avanthia Rosé 2011

Grape variety: Mencía

Geographical origin: D.O. Valdeorras

Producer: Bodegas Avanthia

Avanthia Rosé 2011 is a highly unusual wine. Spanish rosados are normally meant to be consumed young. In fact, only a few rare, old-fashioned examples such as Viña Tondonia are barrel-aged and made to last. Avanthia, however, is a barrel-aged Rosado in a modern style.

By this, I mean that it maintains a moreish freshness. Layers of delicious fruit are balanced with extra complexity from those barrels.

A Mencía from Valdeorras in Galicia, Avanthia offers us fresh strawberries on the nose and a hint of freshly baked sponge-cakes. The palate, meanwhile, follows through on those initial sensations with a well-integrated, crisp yet never intrusive acidity, backed up by a mineral core. All this is overlaid by a hint of creaminess and spice on the aftertaste.

This Rosado is made by Jorge Ordoñez with mainly the U.S. market in mind. I’d hazard a guess it would also be pretty popular with other nationalities – Avanthia is one of the best Spanish Rosados I’ve ever tasted.

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.