There are times in life when fortune smiles directly upon you and places treasure in your path, reminding you to keep your eyes open for the wonderful and spectacular. When fortune takes the form of wine, it can turn an average wine drinker into a passionate wine lover in just one glass. This happened to me a while ago upon discovering Gewurztraminer. Had that particular chance encounter never have happened though, Petalos would have ignited that flame.
Petalos is made from the Mencia grape and comes from the Bierzo region of north-west Spain. This one found its way to me via Majestic Wines for around £15. The price may cause some momentary indecisiveness but hey, fortune also favours the brave.
Give this wine the opportunity to have a good stretch and get used to its surroundings. It's come a long way in cramped and probably dark conditions so decanting for at least half an hour will enable the wine to open and give up so much more.
On the nose, I got nothing too obvious, red fruits were present but confidently understated. The absence of any wood notes was pleasantly surprising but a good long sniff produced a very faint scent of wood smoke. The taste is light but unmistakably strong, a beautiful velvety smoothness which clearly sets this wine apart and fully justifies the price. Medium tannins can be easily felt in the cheeks and tongue and the combined red fruits make for a balanced taste although difficult to isolate and identify individually. Spice develops in the closing stages, concluding what can only be described as a very pleasing mouthful.
I found a previous review in a book called, Life's Too Short to Drink Bad Wine by Simon Hoggart and it states, "...light and soft, but with a deceptive richness and depth..." I could not agree more. At 14.5% (probably at least 15% in reality), this is the sort of wine that will go to your legs without letting you know about it.
Admittedly, Mencia is a new discovery for me but one I shall be more keenly aware of in future, especially as I understand 'oaked' examples are also made in this smooth style. Mencia would be a great grape to try if you want to expand beyond Shiraz, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Mencia appears to be exclusively Spanish with the best producing regions being Rias Biaxas, Ribeiro in Galicia and Beirzo in Leon. Look for these names on a bottle as an indicator of quality and let fortune's smile bring you some well deserved treasures.
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