The Facts
Producer: Veronica Ortega
Region: Bierzo
Country: Spain
Grapes: Mencía
Price: $20
In Brief
Medium Body
Fruit Driven
Vibrant
Dark Berry
Warm Spice
Black Tea
The Wine
This wine is “very alive,” Kristie said. Deep, dark currant and blackberry fruit notes are warmed by aromatic spice and a black tea aroma reminiscent of Pinot Noir. Stone minerality and fresh acidity give structure and balance, keeping the wine light on its feet despite its fruit-driven core. Haley and Kristie say this is a perfect pairing with pizza or a hearty dinner of grilled sausage and vegetables.
The Story
“She is a spitfire,” Kristie said. “She’s a firecracker, which is a lot like her wine, actually.” The young winemaker learned her craft from the likes of Alvaro Palacios and Raul Perez, winemakers generally considered to be the best of the best in Spain. Today, she farms 5 hectares of 80-year-old Mencía vines in the unique microclimate of Bierzo, sandwiched between the cool maritime influences of Galicia and the hot plains of Spain’s central plateau. In Bierzo, Ortega found balance, both in the terroir and the expression of her preferred variety, which hovers somewhere between Pinot Noir’s elegance and Syrah’s structure. Ortega harvests her organically grown vines entirely by hand, and her ‘Quite’ wine is a pure, vibrant take on Mencía’s potential power.
