‘Moncerbal’ is from 0.86 hectares of the Moncerbal hillside facing southwest in the village of Corullon, at around 700m, with vines around 100 years old. Fermented in small open wooden vats, then aged 14 months in new French barriques. Forest berries run around in a wonderfully complex and pretty nose with rosehip, blackberry cane, oriental rose and cold dark rock. The palate just makes you go ‘wow’! Fluid with lots of gorgeous tannin, it is focused but not intense.
Descendientes de José Palacios (DJP) is one of three estates of the family of Álvaro Palacios. The 'Descendientes' are Álvaro Palacios and his nephew Ricardo Perez Palacios, both of whom grew up in the Palacios family home in Alfaro, Rioja. Both are descendents of Álvaro's father, José Palacios, who died in 2000, just as the first Bierzo wines were being prepared and for whom the Bierzo project was then named. DJP commenced in 1999, when the young Ricardo was studying permaculture in Leon, subsequent to his viticultural studies in Bordeaux.
Ricardo came across some very old plantings of Mencía high on the mountain slopes above the village of Corullón, and recognised these as heritage material of great potential and importance, just as Álvaro has done a decade earlier with the remnant old autochthonous Garnatxas of Priorat. Álvaro was summoned to inspect and an immediate decision was made to invest and investigate. Ever since, Ricardo and Álvaro have been purchasing and renovating old vineyards, massale propogating heritage genetic material throughout their holdings, all the while refining how to grow and vinify Mencía.
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