2021 Mencia & Alicante Bouschet, Adelaide O Cabalin - Galicia

The 2021 Mengoba Mencía Alicante Bouschet springs from Bierzo in north-western Spain — a region with loam-clay soils and pockets of slate on steep slopes, where the acidic, well-draining terroir gives reds a fresh lift even in warmer years. It is the work of the boutique producer Bodegas y Viñedos Mengoba. The 2021 vintage — about 13,000 bottles made — blends 85% Mencía with 15% Alicante Bouschet (also known locally as Garnacha Tintorera). On the nose you’ll find cherries, black plums, liquorice, blue-flower perfumes and a whisper of cocoa; the palate marries Mencía’s freshness with Alicante Bouschet’s density — juicy, rounded, with spice and woodland notes, subtle tannins that soften with a little air, finishing mineral and slightly ashy. It pairs beautifully with richer fare — think duck, pork ribs or a good Bolognese pasta. 

On the other hand, the wine from Adega O Cabalín brings that Galician terroir magic to life. Their reds — typically a majority of Mencía with some Alicante Bouschet and other native varieties — come from steep, shallow-slate vineyards around 560–800 m altitude in the valley of the Sil River tributary, the Casoio River. The project began around 2015 when founder María Teresa López Fidalgo set out to revive long-forgotten vines — today the vineyards span 13 ha across 38 parcels. Their wines are organic, made with minimal intervention: hand-harvested grapes, indigenous yeasts, open-barrel fermentations, and ageing in large oak — a philosophy that aims to let the “place” speak. 

Tasting one of their red cuvées (Mencía + Alicante Bouschet) you’ll likely encounter vibrant red berries, cool minerality and a fine, slightly rustic tannic structure, accompanied by spice and subtle earthiness: red fruit, pepper, perhaps a touch of leather or tobacco. On the palate these wines feel balanced, alive — ideal with roasted meats, grilled game or traditional Galician fare.

In short: the Mengoba from Bierzo is a polished, fruit-forward red with structure and elegance; O Cabalín’s wines are more rustic and terroir-driven, a little wild, with character and minerality. Both are great fun — and represent two very different slices of what Spanish red wine can be.