Imalia 3 installments 2021 - "Little pieces of land that transmit soul to us"

Imalia is Toro Albalá’s new project in Bierzo. The people of Montilla traveled to the León enclave in search of vineyards they would fall in love with, and they found them. There they produce this red wine with the region’s queen grape, Mencía, and use fruit from three different plots to achieve the desired complexity. Notes of red fruit jam, licorice and spices, and a light palate with great personality.

The Wine Advocate: There are two wines so far, starting with the 2021 Imalia 3 Parcelas, an old-vine cuvée made with Mencía from three small parcels of old vines in Cacabelos and Ponferrada. The destemmed grapes were fermented with indigenous yeasts and macerated for a month. The wines—each parcel separately—were aged in 500-liter barrels for 13 months. There are some creamy, toasty, and spicy notes, and the fruit is medium ripe. The wine has a moderate alcohol content of 13.4 percent and a medium-bodied palate with rich, slightly earthy tannins. I believe the oak was newer in this first vintage and seems to have left its mark on the wine, which should be able to absorb it over time and in future vintages as the barrels age. A total of 4,331 bottles were produced. The wine was bottled in March 2023.

James Suckling: This wine has a fragrant aroma of violets, red plums and pink peppercorns. On the palate, it is juicy and fruity, with a medium body and ripe tannins. Focused and fresh. To drink and enjoy.