| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | Spain > Castilla y León > Bierzo |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
2021 is clearly the finest vintage of the trio of 2020, 2021 and 2022, and the bottled 2021 Pétalos delivers what the unbottled samples promised: a wine with lower alcohol than ever (13.5%), lighter, a little narrower but with the juiciness of Mencía that seems to come back after some time in bottle. It has lots of notes of aromatic herbs, with some similar aromas to the La Faraona. It's quite expressive and showy, very pleasant and easy to drink, very gourmand, with a velvety mouthfeel and very fine tannins. 320,000 bottles and 2,567 magnums produced. It was bottled between November 2022 and March 2023. Approachable now, very hedonistic. Drink 2023-2029.
A benchmark of Bierzo Mencia, Petalos is reliably delicious year in, year out. Bright ruby purple in the glass, it bursts with violets, hedgerow, struck flint and a little blueberry on the nose. Highly aromatic, it is like a bouquet of flowers. Supple yet crunchy in fruit, there is a zest and verve to the palate, lively yet redolent in its floral character. Layers of red and blue fruits come in waves, together with a whiff of white pepper. Sappy, lightly savoury and moreish on the finish, it offers superb value for money. Drink now, or over the coming decade.
Tangy notes of white pepper, wild herbs and red berries. Hints of agave, too. Elegant and delineated on the palate with a medium body, where you find a fine wrap of chalky tannins to the nimble, elegant red berry fruit. Drink now.
The barrel sample of the 2021 Pétalos was lower in alcohol than ever (13.5%), and the wine felt a bit reductive and needed time in the glass to open up. That's not a bad sign in my book, and the wine was lighter, a little narrower (a bit the style of the year), with finesse and freshness (despite not having high acidity, but it's the balance that makes it fresher), elegant and juicy, with very fine, chalky tannins. 2021 saw a good crop and, except for Las Lamas and La Faraona, volumes are similar, even a little more in Pétalos, because the early-harvested vineyards delivered very healthy grapes and there was no need to discard or sort the grapes, which was not the case in the vineyards that were harvested late. There will be some 280,000 bottles, and the 2021s might also have a shorter élevage.
