The 2010 Art, from very old Mencia vines planted at 700-900 meters altitude and cropped at 25 hectoliter per hectare, is a dark, powerful and concentrated wine. A beast of a wine, especially in the palate, it’s impeccably built to last. The 18 months in barrel are unnoticeable in the wine, as it clearly needs some extended slow micro-oxygenation that the oak provides to tame this beast. They produced 12,500 bottles of this remarkably powerful wine. Drink 2016-2022. The Luna Beberide family has been making wines in Bierzo for over 25 years now. They started using a high percentage of French grapes, Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, etc., moving towards the local varieties later. At the end of the 1990s they approached Mariano Garcia, who had just finished his time at Vega Sicilia in Ribera del Duero after 30 years making their wines, for his advice to improve their wines. This brought new ideas and also new blood to the region, as through the Garcia family they contacted and hired a young French winemaker, Gregory Perez, who has since moved on to create his own Mengoba project. Alejandro Luna is the second generation of the family and is the one running the business today, which revolves around the 80 hectares of vineyards they own. Imported by Grapes of Spain, Lorton, VA; tel. (571) 642-0343

Lean and fresh, this focused red delivers savory flavors of licorice, fresh herb and smoke that frame a core of cherry and black olive. Supple and harmonious, with a juicy finish. Drink now through 2016. 750 cases made, 250 cases imported.??–TM??Region: Spain / Bierzo Select to Add