The 2016 Mencía de Espanillo has to be among the finest vintages for this high-altitude Mencía. It comes from slate soils in old vineyards in the village of Espanillo, and as Mengoba also has a small percentage of other varieties, everything is picked and fermented together with part full clusters and part destemmed and crushed in a 5,000-liter oak vat with indigenous yeasts. It was then transferred to a 2,500-liter oak foudre where it underwent malolactic and an élevage of some 15 months, slightly longer this time, as the grapes from 2017 were lost to frost (and therefore there wont be a 2017 of this wine). The nose is dead gorgeous, expressive and open, and the palate is serious and with a mineral feeling, nicely textured, with clean flavors and a remarkable finish. 3,300 bottles were filled in March 2018. Luis Gutierrez, TWA.