Luna Beberide, Bierzo (Castilla y León, Spain) Mencia 2020

 They say that confession is good for the soul, so I should acknowledge that this is among my favorite wines in the world (I’d bet that my cellar holds more of it than anyone in the USA aside from the importer), and I have quite a soft spot for the family behind the wine.  With that caveat noted, the 2020 Paixar is delicious but different than many earlier releases going back to the first vintage in 2001, showing softer texture, less overt wood even at this early stage in its development, and a more approachable character – if less seemingly age-ability.  All of this is good news for those who don’t have wine cellars or sufficient patience to let wines age for 7 to 10 years from the vintage, which is when Paixar is usually hitting its stride.  It is possible that I’m just catching this at in a phase when it is “open” and showy, which it is — in both aroma and flavor.  Whereas this was formerly raised in just a few 500-liter new, French oak barrels, the tech sheet for this vintage indicates aging of 12 months in 5,000 liter Foudres and used — not new — 500 liter casks.  Not the most powerful Paixar ever released, but a very pretty one that may hold even more potential than it is showing right now.  One indication of potential is that my bottle held up extremely well over 24 hours after being opened initially, so this may have even more staying power than it is showing at this time.