Megoba 2007 is a very trendy red wine from Bierzo made from the outstanding Mencía grape.  It is so trendy that its price seems to have gone up 25% in its first year of release!  It’s a wine made by Gregory Pérez, the well known enologist that is behind the Luna Beberide winery.   He originally from Bordeaux but of Spanish descent and has settled into making wines in the Bierzo area.  I love the Luna Beberide wines…they are really some of the most elegant Mencías around.  This wine is at the other end of the spectrum.  It really shows the intensity and concentration that Mencía can give.  It is from 80 year old vines with really low yields…one of those great sites that offer such unique terroir.  I have to say that in the mouth, I found the tannins a little too intense.  I loved the nose and I loved the fruit in the mouth…but the tannins were really tough, closing down the finish. We were drinking it with friends so there was no time to let it open up.  It is a 2007 and hopefully the tannins will be tamed by a little more time in bottle.  I’d like to try the wine again in a several months.  I’m also anxious to try Megoba’s white wine made from one of my favorite white Spanish grapes:  Godello.   Read on for more details on this wine. Also check out my post about the Mencía grape and about the Tierras de Luna wine from Luna Beberide.

Wine:  Megoba 2007
Winery:  Bodegas Megoba
Denominacion de Origen (DO): Bierzo
Alc: 14%
Grape varieties: 100% old vine Mencía (80 years old)
Oak regime:  11 months in oak
Price:  15-22€ retail in Madrid…a huge range but some stores have really raised the price on this wine.

Tasting notes
Visual:  Black-purple opaque
Nose:  Intense, impressive nose.  Deep black fruit….blackberry, plum, spice, slate, anis.  Very promising start.     
Mouth:  The mouth starts out great, with explosive fruit, mineral notes and good acid structure…then the fruit aromas are wiped out by the super intense, fairly tough tannins that dominate the finish.   
Food:  Any fatty meat would soften up those tannins a bit.

Conclusion: An interesting wine, definitely a lot of personality.  Unfortunately the tannins are a bit exhausting and undermine the fruit.  It was a very tiring wine to drink….I’d like to revisit it and see if some aging can bring some balance to the wine.  I bought it at 15€, but I would find it pricy at 22€.   Very flashy label for a Spanish wine not specifically made for export.