2017 Adega Algueira Ribeira Sacra 750 ml

The world of wine is full of great discoveries, and today’s 2017 Adega Algueira Ribeira Sacra is not just one of our favorite new finds, it’s proof that journeying to the most remote parts of Spain comes with great reward.

Here, nestled into slopes that in places boast a 75 percent grade are the biodynamically farmed, estate vines of Adega Algueira where father-son duo Fernando and Fabio Algueira are producing striking Mencía wines (pronounced mehn-THEE-ah). Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate has called Ribeira Sacra Mencía reds “brilliant, artisanal, hand-crafted wines that words simply cannot begin to describe,” and this 2017 Algueira Mencía is one of them. Lovers of Cru Beaujolais will see a likeness in the delicate and wild red berry fruit, while fans of finesse-driven Pinot Noir will marvel over sleek Burgundy-like tannin. 

A few years ago, The New York Times’ wine critic, Eric Asimov, featured Ribeira Sacra Mencía in his wine school column, noting, “These are mostly small production wines, so you may not be able to find these same bottles,” and included today’s Algueira in a shortlist of producers he says, “don’t hesitate to try.” We echo that sentiment exactly.

Traveling by car from the coastal region of Rías Baixas, it takes a little over two hours to reach Ribeira Sacra in Galicia in the northwestern part of Spain. Galicia includes five regions: Rías Baixas, Ribeiro, Valdeorras, Monterrei, and Ribeira Sacra—that’s where terraced vineyards carved into dizzyingly steep slopes owe their origins to the Romans who established the region more than 2,000 years ago. Mencía was a Roman Emperors’ drink of choice.  

A long growing season coupled with cool nighttime temperatures means the wines in Ribeira Sacra enjoy long hangtimes, while flavors develop all season long during the slow maturation process. The Algueira family’s thirty-to-eighty-year-old Mencía vines are rooted in pure schist soils on frighteningly steep southwest slopes. Always hand-harvested into small lug bins, once the grapes reach the winery, natural yeast fermentation in stainless steel tanks delivers a beautifully buoyant red that sees no oak aging, and boasts an elegant rusticity, combining the best of everything we love about Cru Beaujolais brightness and Côte de Nuits structure. 

Whip up your favorite Spanish dishes with this, or as they do in Galicia, prepare tender octopus drizzled with olive oil and salt, or make a simple roast chicken with potatoes. Whatever you decide, you’re going to love the versatility of this lip-smacking Mencía.