2021 Descendientes de Jose Palacios Petalos del Bierzo
Type of Wine | Red |
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Country | Spain |
Region | Castilla y Leon |
Appellation | Bierzo (Appellation) |
Winery | Descendientes de J. Palacios |
Year | 2021 |
Grape | Mencia |
Content (Alc) | 0.75 ltr (13.5%) |
Drink window | 2023 - 2028 |
The wine has matured for 10 months in French oak. It is a full fruity powerful Mencia wine. Full , round and fresh in taste with aromas of ripe black and red fruit such as black cherries, blueberries, blackberries, ripe raspberries and strawberries. But also slightly spicy and a little earthy with refined tannins. The aftertaste is long and with beautiful fruit and some notes of vanilla due to the wood aging. This 100% mencia comes into its own when served slightly cool. The Petalos won 1st place at the Prix de Sommelier (winner of the red wines) and the 2019 received no less than 93+/100 points from the Wine Spectator (Parker).
Fun fact : Pétalos = petals and Mencía is also called the 'Pinot Noir of Spain'.
All vines of Descendientes de José Palacios have been grown organically and biodynamically from the start. The wines are certified organic from the 2020 harvest year. The grapes for Petalós come from different villages in the Bierzo, mainly Corullón and Villafranca del Bierzo. The total vineyard area covers 90 hectares. In Corullón the soil consists mainly of shale with here and there quartzites and sandstone mixed with clay. The other villages have a clay soil with quartzites and pebbles. All vineyards are organically farmed. They are located on steep slopes at an altitude between 450 meters and 1,100 meters. Petalós consists of 92% mencía, the main grape variety of Bierzo. The remaining 8% is a blend of local blue grape varieties alicante bouschet, gran negro, pan y carne, negreda plus three white grape varieties, valenciana, jerez, godello. The age of the vines is between 40 and 90 years old. After manual harvesting, the grapes are partially destemmed and crushed. The alcoholic fermentation takes place spontaneously in a combination of stainless steel and wooden barrels. The wine then matures on wood for another 10 months. The wine is clarified and bottled unfiltered.
The DO Bierzo geo-politically belongs to Castilla y León, but physically it is the gateway to Galicia. The Castillian plateau here becomes a mountainous landscape that turns into a green oasis and a more temperate climate: less extreme than in Castilla and less rain than in Galicia. Bierzo is the kingdom of the Mencía grape, a noble unknown to many, but one of Spain's most underrated grapes with impressive potential. The vineyards are located at an altitude between 450 and 1,100 meters, this in a considerable difference in height, which means that there are many microclimates and terroirs. The main cities are Ponferrada and Villafrance del Bierzo. The bottoms are sandy or clay) rocky in the valley along the river Sil, or consist of limestone and especially slate in the mountains.
The great impulse to this wine region was mainly given by this project. One of the first biodynamic domains in Spain. It was Alvaro Palacios who recognized the potential of this area to make truly great terroir wines. After his odyssey in Priorat, he started this wonderful story together with his young nephews Ricardo. They selected the most difficult vineyards in the whole area: the highest, the most difficult to access and the least yields (because vieilles vignes): these were just those vineyards that the villagers were least interested in because they yielded the least.
Ricardo Perez Palacios is one of the great architects of a silent revolution taking place in the hitherto very quiet Bierzo region. He is the son of Chelo Palacios, of the dynasty known Palacios (Remondo) of La Rioja, and helped in this adventure by his famous uncle, Alvaro Palacios, known for his wines of Priorat. Ricardo has long experience in France, Chile and the United States. Bodega Descendientes de Jose Palacios is currently the absolute trendsetter of the relatively well-known but very beautiful Bierzo. The Petalos is a wine that receives very high ratings year after year.
Type of Wine | Red |
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Country | Spain |
Region | Castilla y Leon |
Appellation | Bierzo (Appellation) |
Winery | Descendientes de J. Palacios |
Grape | Mencia |
Biological certified | No |
Vegan | No |
Year | 2021 |
Drinking as of | 2023 |
Drinking till | 2028 |
Alcohol % | 13.5 |
Alcohol free/low | No |
Content | 0.75 ltr |
Oak aging | Yes |
Sparkling | No |
Dessert wine | No |
Closure | Cork |
Parker rating | 94 |
James Suckling rating | 92 |
Tasting Profiles | Earthy, Rustic, Dark fruit, Dry |
Drink moments | Barbecue, Borrelen, Met vrienden, Voor alledag |
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