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2023 Descendientes de Jose Palacios - Mencia Bierzo Petalos de Bierzo (750ml)
Desc. de J. Palacios
SKU 104244

2023 Descendientes de Jose Palacios - Mencia Bierzo Petalos de Bierzo (750ml)

$29.99 - $29.99
$29.99
$29.99 - $29.99
$29.99
Availability:
21 available

Descendientes de José Palacios was founded in 1999 by Álvaro Palacios, already celebrated for his work in Priorat, alongside his nephew Ricardo Pérez, fresh from enological studies in Bordeaux. The pair settled in Corullón, on the western edge of Bierzo, drawn to its steep, old-vine vineyards and rare schist soils in a region otherwise dominated by clay. Their mission was to rescue Mencía, a nearly forgotten grape they believed could rival the great reds of France.

Petalos, named for the patchwork of small vineyard "petals" that make up the blend, draws on roughly 180 growers farming old, mixed plantings around Corullón and Villafranca del Bierzo. The wine is predominantly Mencía, rounded out by small amounts of local red and white varieties, all farmed organically and biodynamically. Fermentation takes place with native yeasts in open-top oak and stainless steel, followed by malolactic conversion and around ten months of aging in barrique and larger oak vessels, with only modest new wood.

The 2023 offers a perfumed lift of violet and wild herb over bright red cherry, raspberry, and plum, with a savory whisper of licorice and earth beneath. Medium-bodied and juicy, it carries fine, grippy tannins and a fresh, mineral-tinged finish. It pairs beautifully with roast lamb, grilled duck, or a plate of aged Spanish cheeses.

93+ Points
"The 2023 Pétalos has around 20% grapes from Corullón and the rest bought from around 100 families across Bierzo, approximately 91% Mencía, 8% whites and 1% other reds that fermented in open-top oak and stainless steel vats with indigenous yeast. Malolactic fermentation took a couple of months in oak and stainless steel, and the wine matured in barriques and bocoyes for 10 months. It comes in at 13% alcohol with a pH of 3.74. It has a serious nose that combines berry fruit with herbs and a licorice twist, and it is a little tighter and more herbal, denoting more sensation of freshness in the wine even if the year was also warmish. But the peaks of heat did not reach the highs they did in 2022. It makes you think of the Bierzo wines from yesteryear, with the rain during the harvest. It's elegant but there's weight. Despite the price level, this is a wine that aged beautifully in bottle, something you don't expect in an entry-level wine. Final production figures were as expected, 297,867 bottles. The wine was bottled between January and April 2025. This keeps its position as one of the best values in Spain."
—Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate
Appellation: Bierzo
Vintage: 2023
Region: Bierzo
Country: Spain
Bottle Size: 750ml
Producer: Desc. de J. Palacios
Desc. de J. Palacios

Descendientes de José Palacios was founded in 1999 by Álvaro Palacios, already celebrated for his work in Priorat, alongside his nephew Ricardo Pérez, fresh from enological studies in Bordeaux. The pair settled in Corullón, on the western edge of Bierzo, drawn to its steep, old-vine vineyards and rare schist soils in a region otherwise dominated by clay. Their mission was to rescue Mencía, a nearly forgotten grape they believed could rival the great reds of France.

Petalos, named for the patchwork of small vineyard "petals" that make up the blend, draws on roughly 180 growers farming old, mixed plantings around Corullón and Villafranca del Bierzo. The wine is predominantly Mencía, rounded out by small amounts of local red and white varieties, all farmed organically and biodynamically. Fermentation takes place with native yeasts in open-top oak and stainless steel, followed by malolactic conversion and around ten months of aging in barrique and larger oak vessels, with only modest new wood.

The 2023 offers a perfumed lift of violet and wild herb over bright red cherry, raspberry, and plum, with a savory whisper of licorice and earth beneath. Medium-bodied and juicy, it carries fine, grippy tannins and a fresh, mineral-tinged finish. It pairs beautifully with roast lamb, grilled duck, or a plate of aged Spanish cheeses.

93+ Points
"The 2023 Pétalos has around 20% grapes from Corullón and the rest bought from around 100 families across Bierzo, approximately 91% Mencía, 8% whites and 1% other reds that fermented in open-top oak and stainless steel vats with indigenous yeast. Malolactic fermentation took a couple of months in oak and stainless steel, and the wine matured in barriques and bocoyes for 10 months. It comes in at 13% alcohol with a pH of 3.74. It has a serious nose that combines berry fruit with herbs and a licorice twist, and it is a little tighter and more herbal, denoting more sensation of freshness in the wine even if the year was also warmish. But the peaks of heat did not reach the highs they did in 2022. It makes you think of the Bierzo wines from yesteryear, with the rain during the harvest. It's elegant but there's weight. Despite the price level, this is a wine that aged beautifully in bottle, something you don't expect in an entry-level wine. Final production figures were as expected, 297,867 bottles. The wine was bottled between January and April 2025. This keeps its position as one of the best values in Spain."
—Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate
Appellation: Bierzo
Vintage: 2023
Region: Bierzo
Country: Spain
Bottle Size: 750ml
Producer: Desc. de J. Palacios