2022 Viticola Mentridana, El Mentridano, Mentrida

Description

The 2022 is the second full vintage of Curro Barreño. El Mentridano comes from a 600-meter, 7.8-ha vineyard plot in the Valle del Alberche in the village of Mentrida. The vineyard boasts 40-year-old bush-vine Garnacha planted on granite soils. Curro carries on the (practicing) biodynamic viticulture that Dani Landi has utilized. The grapes are hand-harvested, and whole-cluster fermented in open-top oak vats with gentle extraction—the wine ages for seven months in neutral 3,000 and 3,7000 French oak foudres. No filtration or stabilization is performed. The wine displays classic high-altitude Garnacha flavors of dark cherry, wild strawberry, and thyme. Paradoxically, the wine is structured and serious but also hugely easy-drinking.