Cesar Marquez Parajes Mencia 2019

“This wine is like eating cherry cobbler by a firepit”

Jackson’s Notes: If your uncle was Sting, would you want to try your hand at playing music? On one side, you could reason that you’re blessed with good musical genetics, on the other side you could fret over always living in the shadow of a relentless overachiever. Enter César Márquez, whose uncle is Raúl Pérez, one of the greatest living Spanish winemakers. You gotta be either brilliant or lucky to make that move, and I think Márquez is gutsy to go for it. Every little thing he does is magic, including this Mencia, which demonstrates a deft hand with a difficult grape. 

The Pérez and Márquez families operate throughout northwestern Spain, a region often called “Green Spain” for its verdant hills and proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. They have their hands in many projects throughout Galicia and upper Castilla y León, growing grapes like Albariño, Prieto Picudo, Mencia, and Godello. They are pioneers of organic viticulture, and a Burgundian winemaking mindset that elevates vineyard expression above winemaker opinion. 

“Parajes” is a blend of seven different vineyard parcels that are made separately, then combined after fermentation. The focus is less on a single vineyard, and more on the pure and unvarnished expression of the Mencia grape, which I often describe as a combination of the elegance of Pinot Noir and the savory qualities of Syrah.

In any good Mencia, you should look for a balance between smoky/savory flavors and fresh black fruit, and this wine has those in beautiful tension. Black plum, bing cherry, and toasted black peppercorn abound. This wine is like eating cherry cobbler by a firepit.