Mencía

Synonyms: jaen (Portugal), loureiro tinto (Portugal), tinta mollar, tinto mencía.

For years it has been related to cabernet franc but recent genetic studies have ruled it out. It is a Spanish red variety, originally from northwestern Spain (Salamanca, Zamora, Leon) but also extends to the interior of Galicia (Orense -Valdeorras and Lugo - Ribeira Sacra). It is a moderately productive variety, with early budding and early ripening.

Stylistically, the wines that can be obtained from this variety are very fruity (red fruit), with medium acidity and good structure, qualities that are more enhanced in young wines than in wines with long aging.

As it is a primary variety and has a short cycle, many winemakers use the stems in the winemaking process, providing herbal and balsamic nuances that give greater complexity to the wine as a whole. Mencia is not recognized as having a great aging capacity. It is a reductive variety and as such tends to show reduced aromas in this type of wine, which means that the result is in line with classic wines, rich in tertiary nuances.