Mt Bera Mencia 2024

I have been thrilled to see Mencia taking off in the Adelaide Hills. Here you’ll unveil some indigo tones of blackberries, boysenberry and rosemary stem. Toasty notes of roasted caraway seed, fennel and rye. Graphite, coal dust and a briar burl wood note. The nose invites you in and the palate immediately wakes you up with elevated acidity, perky and poignant black cherry juice  and a sandy granular tannin profile on the finish. It’s worth seeking out for the unique and interesting shapes and forms that Mencia can showcase, here it is well integrated, punchy and suited to the cool climate of the Hills. It is in a lovely spot for drinking now or in 3-4 years. Serve with baby back ribs, with a smokey bbq sauce, that is equally lip smacking as the wine.

Shanteh Wale

Contributor at Wine Companion

Shanteh cut her teeth at Sydney’s Award-Winning Quay restaurant where she worked for over a decade and was Head Sommelier from 2018 till 2022. She has been nominated for the Good Food Guide Sommelier of the Year award on three occasions and claims that her experience as a Len Evans scholar as one of the highlights of her career. Shanteh hosts her own weekly podcast ‘Over A Glass’ with the Deep in the Weeds Network and spends her time writing for various publications and judging at numerous wine shows across the country.

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