NoneSuch Mencia Silvaspoons Vineyard 2023

Country: USA

Region: Lodi

Type: Red Wine

Grape: Mencia

Winemaker Caitlin Quinn was raised in San Luis Obispo wine country, and has made wine for over a decade in California and abroad. Finding inspiration from her family, friends, and mentors in Santa Cruz and Sonoma Counties, she started NoneSuch Wines in 2017. Embracing minimalist winemaking techniques in order to express vineyard terroir fully, the grapes are hand-harvested and foot tread, fermented whole-cluster naturally with native yeasts, and aged in entirely neutral oak barrels. Quinn has also served as Assistant Winemaker at Arnot-Roberts since 2014.

Ron Silva of the Silvaspoons Vineyard has been championing Iberian varieties for decades, with 21 varieties planted, including the first known planting of Mencía in California. Just one acre was planted in 2014 with clones originating from Bierzo, Spain. The vineyard is located North of Lodi and South of Sacramento in the Alta Mesa AVA, which sports the name “high table” because its hills rise higher than the flat areas around Lodi. Soils here are alluvial clay and gravel deposits left by the Consumnes and the American Rivers. It is one of the warmest appellations in Lodi, making for more robust color and structure in the wine.

The Mencía was hand-harvested and the grapes were crushed by foot, before being fermented 100% whole cluster with native yeast, then basket pressed and aged in  neutral oak barrels for nine months. Exotic floral aromatics, with red fruit character and bright peppery notes on the palate. Full-bodied, with silky tannin and soft acidity. 

Mencía is a very dark, aromatic grape from northwest Spain: Bierzo, Galicia, and Ribeira Sacra, also grown in Portugal as Jaen. I love Mencía wines that express their