Verónica Ortega Careo Mencía Bierzo 2023

A magnificent and terroir-driven Spanish red wine masterfully crafted by winemaker Verónica Ortega from select, organically farmed old-vine Mencía plots in Bierzo. Meticulously fermented using native yeasts and aged with precision, it reveals an expressive bouquet of ripe dark berries, wild plums, crushed slate minerals, and subtle wild herbs with a beautiful, vibrant finish.

Food Pairing: Pairs flawlessly with slow-roasted herb-crusted lamb chops, pan-seared duck breast, traditional Spanish charcuterie boards, or savory wild mushroom tapas.

98 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The other new red is the 2023 Cáreo, which is a different story from the A Bruxa. It comes from a very old vineyard planted with Mencía, Palomino, Doña Blanca and a little Godello, an ancient, centenary 0.9-hectare plot, where the Mencía has thinner skins, and the tannins are also finer. This is from the same zone as the white Tormenta in San Juan de la Mata, technically a village wine from Arganza, one of the few places in Bierzo that has limestone soils. Part (80%) of the wine fermented in a troncoconic oak vat with 100% full clusters and the rest was destemmed and fermented in bins, then the wine matured in separate 300-liter barrels for 11 months, after which, it was blended and put in amphorae, where it rested for another four months. This has a very focused violet note, also peachy, with a fine texture, with the mouthfeel from the limestone soils. It comes in at 12.9% alcohol with a pH of 5.4. I cannot make up my mind if I prefer this or the new A Bruxa... In any case, these are two superb additions to the portfolio, completing the high end in a stunning vintage. Bravo!! 2,755 bottles produced. It was bottled in March 2025.

97 Points - James Suckling

Really floral, showing hibiscus water, violets and raspberries. So subtle with a unique profile. Medium-bodied and discreetly balanced, with focused, chalky tannins that are very delicate but not insubstantial. From a centenary head-trained vineyard planted on calcareous soils in Arganza. Highly approachable. Drinkable now, but it will be interesting to see how it evolves in the bottle. Drink or hold.