Mancuso 2004 Vino de la Tierra Valdejalon

Mancuso 2004
Region: Vino de la Tierra Valdejalon
Winery: MANCUSO, BODEGAS Y VINEDOS

Grapes: 100% Garnacha
Vintage: 2004
Color: Red

Vinedos del Mancuso is a new wine project in Aragon started a few years ago by two enthusiastic enologists, Carlos San Pedro and Jorge Navascues. They bought five vineyards (20 acres) planted between 2,500 and 2,950 feet above sea level, with very old ungrafted Garnacha vines, in broken slate over bedrock. Harvested by hand in small boxes during the first two weeks of October, selection of bunches in the vineyard and at the winery. The wine was fermented for 8 days in wood vats (1,700 liters capacity) and was aged for 14 months in New French oak barrels. Unfiltered.

Reviews
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, 92 points.
Saturated ruby. Alluring bouquet of raspberry and strawberry preserves, minerals, Asian spices, fresh flowers and vanilla. Fresh and energetic, with a sappy texture and deep, sweet red berry and cherry flavors accented by spice and mineral notes. The long, rich finish features licorice, black cardamom and bitter cherry, with fine, silky tannins. Delicious old-vines garnacha.
Issue 128, Sept/Oct '06

The Wine Advocate, 91 points.
As Robert Parker noted in Issue 159 after reviewing the more difficult 2002 and 2003 vintages, “The 2004 will give a clearer indication of this new winery’s true potential.” The 2004 Mancuso, produced from 100% old-vine Garnacha (80-100 years), suggests that the trajectory is upward. The wine was aged 14 months in new Fernch oak and bottled unfiltered. Purple-colored, the expansive bouquet offers damp earth, garrigue, cola, black cherry and blueberry. On the palate this large-scaled wine has gobs of spicy fruit, a supple texture, and soft, well-integrated tannins leading to a long, pure finish. There is enough structure for 3-5 years of further evolution and it should drink well through 2020.
Issue 169, February '07