Jose Antonio Garcia Unculin Mencia 2021

The cuvée Unculín is a fresh, energetic red Bierzo that offers a refreshing antidote to the over-blown, internationally-styled wines previously made in the region. Rather, Unculín is focussed on delivering an experience where the soul and energy of Valtuille and Bierzo are on full display. This is accomplished through utilizing the region’s tradition of co-fermentation from some of the village’s best vineyards. 

Whole bunches are hand-picked, leaving stems on 30% of the bunches. The remaining 70% of the grapes are de-stemmed by hand and left intact, without crushing. A 48-hour maceration precedes a spontaneous alcoholic fermentation with indigenous yeast. After fermentation the grapes are pressed with a 20-day post-fermentation maceration. All of this occurs in stainless steel tanks. After four months of aging on the fine-lees and malolactic fermentation in stainless steel, the wine is briefly racked into foudres to give it some oxygen. Gently fined with bentonite, unfiltered and very little sulfur at bottling.

Jose Antonio García and his wife Julia Peña García (JAG) are at the forefront of the next generation of vignerons in Bierzo, leading the charge towards wines of place and definition. Their familial roots in Bierzo are fundamental to them, as they do all of the work in the vineyards themselves, which is signified by the term viticultor on their bottles. Jose’s mother is a native of Valtuille de Abajo, and his father is a native of Corullón. Together, Jose and Julia’s families have owned vineyards in Bierzo for generations. All of their wines are hand-harvested, foot-crushed, and vinified very carefully with native fermentation and without manipulation.