Wine Advocate 93+
"The regional red 2020 Ptalos comes from 90 hectares of vineyards, mainly from Corulln and Villafranca del Bierzo and the districts of Viariz, Hornija, Valtuille de Abajo and Otero. It mixes expositions, altitudes and soils and wants to paint a picture of Bierzo in the warm 2020 vintage. They reckon it's 92% Menca with 5% other red grapes (Alicante Bouschet, Gran Negro, Pan y Carne and Negreda) and 3% whites (Valenciana, Jerez and Godello) with an average yield of 26 hectoliters per hectare. The grapes were picked from August 28th to September 24th and fermented partly destemmed in stainless steel and oak vats with indigenous yeasts for 43 days with a slow malolactic fermentation that lasted two months. The wine matured in barrel for around eight months (malolactic was fast, and the wines were put in barrel early) and was bottled unclarified, unfiltered and non-stabilized with cold. It has good ripeness with 14% alcohol (their upper limit) and moderate acidity at 4.6 grams (of tartaric acid). It's a little more fruit-driven, a vintage of sun, jovial and juicy, approachable and round with very fine, slightly powdery tannins. The fruit is darker than in the 2019. This is still young, and, as it happens with even the most approachable wines from the region, it should be even better in a couple of years. I tasted it again in mid-December, and the wine is showing better and better; time in bottle has done it some good, and the wine has settled and is getting more balanced. I don't feel the sun now; it's harmonious and more serious, juicy and tasty. A little better than anticipated."~Luis Gutierrez.
Pétalos del Bierzo is a red wine from the Bierzo prepared by the Descendientes de J. Palacios winery. It is a single variety of Mencía.
The grapes used comes from plots of very old vines, aged between 50 and 90 years old. These are underperforming, making the fruit of high quality. The vineyards that give rise to Pétalos del Bierzo are planted mainly on slate floors and are located on slopes. The harvest is done manually and the first selection occurs in the same vineyard.
In the winery, the grapes are destemmed and fermented for about 25 days in open wooden vats and open stainless steel tanks. Malolactic fermentation is carried out for two months in closed wooden vats and open stainless steel tanks. Subsequently, Pétalos del Bierzo is aged for 10 months in French oak barrels before bottling, it is filtered and clarified.
This wine is notably prestigious as the 2011 vintage of Pétalos del Bierzo was recognized as the best value Spanish wine of the year by Robert Parker.
Descendientes de J. Palacios is owned by Ricardo Perez Palacios, the nephew of renowned winemaker Alvaro Palacios, who is known for his great work in the Priorat and assists the family winery.
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