Mencia “Coios” 2018 – Xosé Lois Sebio

The Mencia Coios Xosé Lois Sebio  vinification took place in open tanks of 1,500 litres. A cold soak lasted one week,prior to fermentation at low temperatures. The Mencia Coios Xosé Lois Sebio  was gently pressed in a manual screw press. Only the lots with the sweetest, ripest tannins and fruit forward flavours were extracted. The wine started malolactic fermentation in tank, which was completed in 600 litre barrels. The blend was aged for 14 months in 300 and 600 litre barrels of third fill.

The grapes come from a single vineyard ‘Viñas O Val’ in the DO Bierzo, in the north western Spanish province of Castilla León. Low yielding 60 year old vines are grown in clay soils with ‘Coios’, a Spanish term for boulders, which gave this wine its name. These old vines have deep root systems which nourish the vines imparting complex flavours in the resulting wine. Planted at a density of 4,000 vines per hectare, the vines are grown at an altitude of 550 to 590 metres above sea level. The cool nights extends the ripening period, allowing the grapes to develop rich varietal characteristics while retaining balancing acidity. The grapes are manually harvested when they have reached optimum maturity.

Winemaker Xosé Lois Sebio has produced this stunning eponymous collection of wines as a result of a personal quest: to find wines with unique personality from more risky processing zones and with a very marked identity. This original and quirky range is made from high quality grapes in areas which are often neglected or simply different; vineyards that are difficult to farm due to the high costs of conventional viticulture. Away from fashions and conventions, the sole intention is to respect and express the soil, variety and area; producing wines with soul and personality. The wines are vinified with minimal intervention and low sulphur. These are collectable wines for lovers of the authentic and different.