Pittacum Barrica DO Bierzo 2020

This cuvée comes from the Bierzo appellation, in north-western Spain, in the province of León, between Galicia and Castile. Founded in 1999 in Arganza, Bodegas Pittacum has devoted itself to Mencía, the region's indigenous red grape variety. Its old vines, some of them over a hundred years old, are spread over some forty hectares and nearly two hundred mountainside plots. The deep, well-drained sloping soils, together with a continental climate under strong Atlantic influence, give wines that are both ripe and fresh.

The grapes are hand-harvested and then sorted berry by berry on a table on arrival at the winery. Fermentation lasts around fifteen days at 25 °C, after which the wine rests for about a month in tank. It is then aged for eight months in 220-litre French oak barrels, without racking, to channel the richness of a concentrated wine. Bottled in February 2021, it then waited at least another year and a half in the cellar before release.

This wine reveals notes of cherry, raspberry, blackberry, plum, violet, black pepper, liquorice, ink and graphite. The deep cherry colour with violet glints precedes a fresh, elegant nose blending red fruit and spice. The palate is fluid and juicy, supported by supple, ripe tannins and an acidity that carries a long mineral finish.

The history of wine in Spain is so ancient that no one really knows who first brought the vines to the region. By the time the Phoenicians arrived some 3,000 years ago and founded the present-day cities of Cádiz and Jerez, viticulture was already well established, and Spanish wines were widely traded throughout the Mediterranean and North Africa. You could say that Spain is a winemaking miracle. After years on the sidelines of the world of fine wines, it is now a major player. Investment and ambition in vineyards and wineries are resulting in increasingly rich, complex (often high in alcohol), and spicy reds that are gaining popularity with international consumers. Proud to have more land dedicated to vines than any other country, Spain is only now beginning to capitalize on this resource in a consistent way. Spain is a chaotic jumble of regions and subregions, much like its landscape is a chaotic jumble of incredibly rugged scenery. A glance at a map reveals the climatic diversity among Spain's many wine regions, from the lush, green vineyards of Galicia on the northern Atlantic coast to the parched vineyards of the southeastern Mediterranean. Spain's saving grace for viticulture is the average altitude of its vineyards, which is over 600 meters. Many Spanish vineyards are thus able to produce grapes with good color and acidity simply because nighttime temperatures are relatively low and the grapes don't ripen until after a sufficiently long growing season. But there is a real treasure trove to be found for those willing to dig, and now that a class of connoisseurs has developed in Spain, all sorts of ambitious investors have done their part to change the image of Spanish wine. Today, a new generation of winemakers has quietly begun to craft spectacular wines and experiment with grape varieties that would have been unthinkable not so long ago. Wine remains an important commodity and an integral part of Spanish culture.