2020 | Descendientes de J. Palacios | La Faraona

A very expressive, scented nose that offers iron and raw-meat character at first, with nice flinty reduction, then it turns to white sesame, racy raspberries, agave, slate, fresh flowers and dried herbs. Ethereal and super-elegant with a juicy palate, threaded by extremely fine but fresh tannins.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: The pale and delicate 2020 La Faraona is the lowest in alcohol at 13.5% and is more reductive than its siblings—flinty and faintly smoky. It needs breathing, so it might be a good idea to decant it in advance if you're going to open a bottle any time soon. What's important is that the palate is terribly balanced, with lots of ultra fine tannins, silky, soft, full of flavors, elegant, complex and nuanced. It has lots of inner energy and tension, and it's subtle and ethereal. The finish is full of sweet red fruit and violets, nicely balanced by the tannin and the acidity. It's delicious and should develop nicely in bottle and drink well throughout its life. It's hard to compare with previous vintages, as this is more delicate than any previous years. It's a different style but every bit as good as 2019. The vineyard is 85% Mencía and the rest other varieties; when they bought the vineyard, it was 50% white grapes, and they have slowly been replanting and regrafting it, looking after every single plant. It's a half-hectare at the top of the slope, at 975 meters in altitude, one of the highest vineyards in Bierzo. Like Moncerbal and Las Lamas, La Faraona is certified organic starting in 2020. Bravo! 1,400 bottles were filled in October 2021.

• James Suckling: A very expressive, scented nose that offers iron and raw-meat character at first, with nice flinty reduction, then it turns to white sesame, racy raspberries, agave, slate, fresh flowers and dried herbs. Ethereal and super-elegant with a juicy palate, threaded by extremely fine but fresh tannins. It goes on and on, but in a subtle way. This takes your breath way with its fascinating perfume and linearity. From organically grown grapes. Irresistible now if you give it time to breathe to whittle down the reductive character, but better after 2025.

Producer Information

Descendientes de J. Palacios is a leading producer of red wines from the Mencia grape in the Bierzo region of northwest Spain. It was founded in 1998, and is a collaboration between Alvaro Palacios of Priorat fame, and his nephew Ricardo Perez Palacios. The venture is credited with bringing the region to much greater prominence on both a national and global stage. Bierzo is a hilly region, and the Palacios vineyards are located on steep hillsides with old bush vines. These are low-yielding, and give wines that are known for their juicy, dark fruit characters with hints of graphite and a dry finish. The range is underpinned by the Pétalos label, made from old vineyards located in various villages around the area. There is also a 'single-village' wine called Corullon, which is sourced from vines which are between 60-100 years old. Decendientes de J. Petalos makes five more single-vineyard wines, and the range-topping La Faraona, which is one of the most expensive and sought-after wines in Spain.

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