Ponte da Boga Mencía

Within the boundaries of lovely Castro Caldelas, where the vineyards follow the path of the River Sil, nestles the Ponte da Boga winery, boasting around 20 hectares of vineyards located in different sub-regions of the Ribira Sacra. Its secret lies with the willing contributions of the small-scale vine growers who are sub-contracted annually to supply their healthy, quality grapes. The countryside provides a beautiful landscape, with small plots perched on the sheer, stony terraces.

Dominique Roujou, the expert French oenologist, is the corner stone in this wine-growing project taken to the extreme, with harvesting causing particular difficulties on the steep slopes. Yet his wines manage to reflect to perfection this heroic environment.

Ponte da Boga Mencía harks back to the olden days, recalling how Mencia wines used to be made locally before they gradually disappeared with the tide of change. This is the bodega's entry level wine and, untouched by oak (just aged in stainless steel), it displays a large sprinkling of minerality: graphite and granite, under the lightest, most agreeable greeny-balsamic touch that adds a good measure of freshness to the wine. There follows the unleashing of a host of violets and hints of earthy undergrowth. Vertical, linear and with perfect acidity is the only way to describe the effect on the palate.

A tribute to Dominique's heroic efforts!