Paixar, Bierzo (Castilla y León, Spain) 2008

 If you’ve still not experienced the remarkable quality that top vintners can coax from the Mencia grape in the remote, rugged region of Bierzo in northwestern Spain, this would be the bottle to try.  Even at this young age it is remarkably complex, which is in turn attributable to its outstanding proportionality in the sense that no particular element overshadows the others.  It shows subtle floral aromas akin to those one might find in Barbaresco or Côte-Rôtie, followed by fruit notes that run red as well as black, recalling cherries, plums and blackberries.  Oak influence is apparent but subtle, with toasty, spicy notes and a bit of grip from wood tannin in the finish, but the fruit easily counterbalances the oak.  As if this were not enough, the wine shows an almost palpable minerality recalling wet slate and graphite.  Finally, the wine’s texture is almost as interesting as its aromas and flavors, seeming soft thanks to the ripeness of the fruit, but also focused on account of ample acidity and very fine grained tannin.  This is in a league with the world’s very best red wines, and in that context it remains very fairly priced–for the moment.