Michelini i Mufatto 'Post Crucifixion' Mencia, Bierzo, Spain 2021

The Bierzo D.O. was established in 1989. Today there are only 74 commercial wineries in the region, and not all export to the USA. There are 5,800 acres under vines, which are fragmented tiny plots of old vines on steep hillside and hilltop locations. Mencia makes up around 75% of all plantings. The soils are primarily slate and granite on the slopes with sand and clay near the valley floor. The appellation is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean while protected from extreme weather by the Leon and Cantabrian mountain ranges.

Grapes are foot-treaded. 100% whole clusters are fermented with native yeast in clay amphorae through gentle maceration, neither carrying out pressing nor pumping over techniques. After a long maceration, the wine ages for 18 months in 500-liter used French barrels.

"The 2021 Post-Crucifixión is from an ancient plot of 0.25 hectares planted with a field blend of Mencía and plenty of Galician varieties—Merenzao, Brancellao, Palomino or Godello in Santalla del Bierzo. The cooler 2021 delivered a wine with only 12% alcohol and lots of freshness. It fermented with 100% full clusters that were foot trodden in clay tinajas with a long maceration and aged 18 months in used 500-liter French oak barrels. Here, they have quite a lot of Merenzao (or Trousseau) that, in this cooler year, seems to mark the wine quite a lot, with perfumed and elegant floral aromas. It's ethereal and elegant, very fine-boned. This is more in line with the 2018 than the 2019, with the personality and perhaps a little more depth and complexity but still quite ethereal. Superb! They have closed the vineyards so they don't get the wild boards that use to eat a lot of grapes; so in the future, there might be a little more wine. Only 593 bottles were filled in June 2023." Wine Advocate 98