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Wine is as good as life to a man, if it be drunk moderately: what life is then to a man that is without wine? for it was made to make men glad.
—Ecclesiasticus, ch. 38, v. 1
(Our sample bottle was purchased by us at standard retail.)
This Spanish wine is 13.5% alcohol. It comes from Bodegas Ordoñez, and is a Vino de la Tierra Castilla y Léon wine. It is pretty widely availale at retail for prices from $10 up to $22 (average circa $15).
Don't get confused here: the wine's name was changed a while ago; it used to be called "Bodegas Tritón Avante", and some search engines still so list it. It seems (to quote the King George Wine Society's notes) that: "Bodegas Tritón is a winery that was part of a relationship between Jorge Ordoñez and the Gil Brothers in Bierzo. The flagship wine of Bodegas Tritón is Tridente or Spanish for Tritón. Jorge and the Gil Brothers went separate ways with the bothers retaining the winery, but Jorge getting the lion share of the grapes. Transported to another winery further south (Toro Region) the wine was made and Labeled: VINO DE LA TIERRA DE CASTILLA Y LEÓN." So it seems this wine was made by Jorge Ordoñez; what will be forthcoming after the 2011 vintage apparently remains to be seen.
There will be a quiz in the morning.
Mencia is often said to resemble Cabernet Franc, though this has not been our own experience. This particular wine got critical reviews (see below) that did not match what we experienced. We found the wine notably lacking in acid, giving it a weak, almost watery character. It had some red-fruit qualities, though there was nothing marked or profound about them, and in general the wine seemed rather a generic red. It did have significant amounts of tannins, decently integrated.
It was certainly far from being unpleasant, and was assuredly drinkable. But we could not get out of our minds that old advertising slogan "Wow, I coulda had a V-8."
On CellarTracker.
On Wine Searcher's Tasting Notes page.
Of some major wine-review sites:
(September/October 2012), 90 points:
(initially fermented in stainless steel and then put through malo and aged for nine months in older French oak): Bright violet color. Pungent dark berry and mineral scents show a lively character. Firm and juicy, offering concentrated blackcurrant and bitter cherry flavors and a hint of allspice. Finishes on a spicy note, with firm tannic grip and very good persistence. I like this wine's structure and focus.
(October 2012), 87 points:
From the Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y Leon region, the 2011 Triton Mencia comes from slate soils and spent nine months in French oak prior to bottling. Lively and vibrant, with plenty of cranberry and black cherry fruit, medium body, and a fresh style reminiscent of a Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley.
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