2022 Envinate Lousas Doad Mencia

Lousas is the name Envintate has given to their wines from Ribeira Sacra, translating to slate and a nod to the rock that marks these wines. Each of their Lousas releases are predominately Mencia, along with a smaller component of various indigenous varieties such as Merenzao, Caino, Garnacha Tintorerra, and Palomino among many others. Vina de Aldea is a blend of several plots from the Amandi, Quiroga, and Ribeiras do Sil subregions of Ribeira Sacra. Doad meanwhile hails from different terroirs throughout the Galician town of Doade, is Mencia dominant with the remaining 15% a field blend of various varieties. Rosende is sourced from a single vineyard from a village of the same name, and the soils here are similar to the Northern Rhone with granite crystals flecked through the sand. Finally Camino Novo is a single vineyard perched on the edge of the River Sil, where the vines are 80 years old and always produce some of the most profound Mencia in the area.

Other Reviews....
The 2022 Doad Lousas, the second vintage of the village red, comes from gneiss and schist soils from the traditional zone of the Sil. It is warmer and riper, a textbook example of ripe Mencía fruit, from an earlier-ripening zone with juicy wines. As with the rest of the 2022s, the wine is super expressive, aromatic and a little riper and more immediate than the tighter 2023s. It has a floral and perfumed nose and is quite fruit-driven, juicy and tasty, with fine tannins already getting polished. 3,300 bottles were filled in November 2023. Drink 2024-2031.
94+ points
Luis Gutiérrez - Wine Advocate (Jul 12, 2024)