GABA DO XIL Mencia 2017

(Valdeorras, Spain) $21

Up for an adventure? This wine is off-the-charts with loads of spicy, peppery, wild savory flavors, plus surges of gaminess so vivid, I thought I was drinking an $80 northern Rhône wine. But this is not syrah. It’s mencia (men-THEE-ah), one of northwestern Spain’s indigenous red varieties, and one that thrives in the rugged mountainous regions of Valdeorras and Bierzo. I love this wine’s sleek precision. Nothing weighty or ponderous here. Just a wine that howls with flavor. And, it’s a steal. (13% abv)

92 points KM

Available at Vinopolis