It was hard to beat the superb 2016, but the 2017 Gaba do Xil Mencía was also perfumed and open, expressive, with a little more ripeness, with good volume and a little more density. This fermented and matured in stainless steel and was bottled without ever touching any oak to keep the fruit profile. But it's more than fruit; it has the austere texture of the granite soils with an expressive finish. 2017 was a short vintage because of problems with frost and they produced 22,700 bottles of it.

I was very pleasantly surprised by the expressive nose of the 2016 Gaba do Xil Mencía; it was very open, floral and perfumed, refined and elegant, expressing the freshness of the 2016 vintage. It has that spicy and herbal twist not that far from some Gamays or Cabernet Francs, with the Galician signature of forest floor, bay leaf and nettle, and with very good complexity. This is quite refined, tasty and long. 33,876 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2018 completely unoaked. This might be the finest vintage to date of this bottling.

This light, fresh red shows a mix of candied cherry, black licorice and smoky flavors, supported by light tannins and racy acidity. Lithe, with a refreshing bitterness on the finish. Drink now through 2021. 250 cases imported.??–TM??Region: Spain / Valdeorras Select to Add

The red 2015 Gaba do Xil Mencía that was produced mostly with Mencía, but it also contains small amounts of other grape varieties that are interplanted in the old vineyards. This is an entry-level unoaked red trying to show the naked character of the region. 2014 was a warm year, saved by the rains in August; they harvested after the 10th of September, the average date there, but with low yields. It fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts and was bottled unoaked. It feels like a ripe and warm vintage with some stress on the vines, and it has notes of dark fruit. The palate shows better, in its rustic style and the granite texture. Surprisingly enough, it improved in the glass over the course of one hour and showed fresher. 69,969 bottles produced.

Supple and polished, this smooth red delivers tart cherry, cranberry and leafy flavors, with accents of licorice and tar. Light tannins and racy acidity impart an energetic structure. Drink now through 2019. 300 cases imported.??–TM??Region: Spain / Valdeorras Select to Add