Casa Aurora Clos La Nave Mencia 2023
Casa Aurora Clos La Nave Mencia 2023 – alternate view 2
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Casa Aurora Clos La Nave Mencía 2023

Casa Aurora
$18.00

Grape: Mencía
Vintage: 2023
Type: Red

Sourced from a tiny parcel of centenarian mencía vines in Bierzo Alto, this mountain red wine reflects a site-specific focus. Winemaker Germán Blanco manages these steep terraces organically, where the roots struggle through decomposed granite and slate soils. The hand-picked grapes are foot-trodden and fermented spontaneously with a high proportion of whole bunches in open-top vessels. Aged entirely in neutral oak barrels before an unfiltered bottling, it preserves an unmanipulated mountain identity.

It pours a translucent ruby-purple color, opening with vivid aromas of wild blackberry, crushed violets, and white pepper. On the palate, the light-to-medium body is racy and energetic, pairing crunchy red currant fruit with a distinct whole-cluster stem structure. Fine-grained, vertical tannins provide a smooth framework that coordinates nicely with the mountain acidity. Subtle notes of damp earth and wild thyme develop across the fluid mouthfeel. It finishes with a lingering trail of graphite.

Winery

Casa Aurora is Germán Blanco’s tribute to his great-grandmother, who raised him in Albares de la Ribera, a village in León’s Bierzo Alto. One of Spain’s early female miners, she provides the personal connection behind a project rooted in the surrounding mountain landscape. Blanco works with small vineyards planted with old vines, often mixing local varieties such as Mencía, Garnacha Tintorera, Merenzao, Godello and Palomino. High elevations, iron-rich clay and scattered granite form the setting for wines drawn from both his own vineyards and fruit purchased from local growers.

Organic farming and spontaneous fermentation shape the work, with amphorae, old wooden foudres and tanks among the vessels used in the cellar. The range includes regional blends alongside wines identified with individual vineyards, allowing different parts of the area to find their own expression. La Nave offers an introduction to the project, while Poula draws on the mixed-grape wines traditionally made for local drinking. Godello bottlings such as La Truena and Clos Pepin Blanco show another side of this small producer’s mountain vineyards.