2023 Oliver's Taranga Mencia

Highly Rated
Oliver's Taranga once again ahead of the curve with this juicy, generous Spanish-inspired McLaren Vale Mencia!

Price:
Sale price$32.00
Stock:
In stock, ready to ship
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Description

Oliver's Taranga, one of McLaren Vale's most historic and loved producers, has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to innovating with alternative/emerging grape varieties.

Their estate-grown Mencia has for some years made a very enjoyable Rose, but more recently we are seeing this fruit crafted into a Spanish-inspired red, reminiscent of the hearty, slurpy lunchtime wines of North West Spain and Portugal.

This is a fun, flavour-packed, warm mouthful of McLaren Vale red wine, and definitely a wine to try, but get in quick as production is tiny!

95 points
"It might have been a cool, wet, late season but the Spanish red grape enjoyed the slow, drawn out ripening time. The ’23 Mencia is a fine follow up to the terrific ’22. The concentration, balance and length on this purple youngster – not to mention the wealth of fruit on display – is striking. Red fruits shine, loud and clear, alongside gentle florals, cranberry, baked earth and herbals with an added, discreet savoury influence. Oak provides a background nicely spiced presence. Speaks with tremendous fruit charm and warmth. What a personality."
- Jeni Port (Wine Pilot)

95 Points - "It might have been a cool, wet, late season but the Spanish red grape enjoyed the slow, drawn out ripening time. The ’23 Mencia is a fine follow up to the terrific ’22. The concentration, balance and length on this purple youngster – not to mention the wealth of fruit on display – is striking. Red fruits shine, loud and clear, alongside gentle florals, cranberry, baked earth and herbals with an added, discreet savoury influence. Oak provides a background nicely spiced presence. Speaks with tremendous fruit charm and warmth. What a personality" - Jeni Port (Wine Pilot)

94 Points - "Dusky, moody florals, deep red, purple and blue – like a sultry old-school perfume but without the sombreness – immediately declare variety, with blueberry, tart wild blackberry, briary herbs and gamey hints reinforcing the impression. This was fermented with native yeasts and saw no additions bar sulphur. Mid-weight, vibrant and varietally on song, along with a briny, iodine mineral edge suggestive of place, this is an excellent example." - Marcus Ellis (Halliday Wine Companion)

91 Points - "It’s a dry, almost sinewy style but the fruit itself feels inky and substantial. This is an interesting wine. Dried herbs, smoked meats, saltbush and kirsch characters burst towards a ropey/stringy/dry finish. Tannin and acid here seem entwined; gene-like. It feels different as much for its structure and mouthfeel as for its flavour." - Campbell Mattinson (The Wine Front)

93 Points - "Deep ruby core with a purple tinted rim. Blood plum, white pepper and smoky reductive aromas. Plush and velvety on the tongue, ripe black fruits entwined by fine tannins that are layered with pepper spices and curing meat undertones. Good length and those tannins carry right to the bone dry finish " Stuart Knox (The Real Review)

Never tasted Mencia before? May as well start now! A new variety to Australia, it’s packed with violet florals, cherry syrup, and a bright, punchy, savoury palate. Whip up some Paella and settle in for a long lunch (and lifelong love affair) with this Spanish beauty.

Region: 100% McLaren Vale
Grape Variety: 100% Mencia (pron. MEN-THEE-A)
Winemaker: Corrina Wright, 6th Generation
Small Batch Production: 5347
Alcohol: 14.0%

History
With 300 acres of premium grapevines on the Taranga property, the Oliver family has over 50 blocks representing different grape varieties, clones, soil types & vine ages. Each vintage, different varieties & blocks will show their strength and from this has been born the ‘SMALL BATCH’ range. These wines have been handcrafted to speak of both the variety and the vintage in which they have been produced.

Aroma
Spiced blue fruits and cured watermelon, violet florals and stewed plum.

Wine & Vintage
From its traditional home in Spain this variety is new to Australia and it’s packed with flavour. Whip up some Paella and settle in for a long lunch (and a lifelong love affair) with this Spanish beauty. 2023 was our third vintage in a row impacted by La Nina in McLaren Vale, meaning a long, cool ripening season, perfect for our Mencia vines.

Palate
Medium bodied, but pushing the boundary into a fuller style. Black and red fruit bouncing around the palate, while still maintaining a lightness on its feet. Lovely coating tannin to fill out the palate. Plush and generous. A delicious example of Mencia.

The Year That Continued
The love for Mencia just keeps growing, and we have been struggling to keep up with demand- selling out just 6 months after release. After being the first in Australia to plant Mencia, we were not sure if it was going to be a variety that resonated with our customers, but we needn’t have worried! So this year we grafted a block of Cabernet in front of our cellar door onto Mencia, and hopefully we will be able to make even more customers happy.

Price Bracket $31 to $40
Type Red
Body Full Bodied
Variety Mencia
Country Australia
Region McLaren Vale
Australian State SA
Feature Women in Wine
High Score
Reviewed By Wine Pilot
Halliday Wine Companion
The Wine Front
The Real Review
Critic Score 95
94
93
91
Alcohol 14%
Size 750ml
Vintage 2023
Closure Screw Cap

Oliver's Taranga

Five generations of the Oliver family have been farming land in McLaren Vale dating back to the 1840s.

There are now 100 hectares of land under vine on the Taranaga property - Taranga is a corruption of the aboriginal word Tarangk, meaning 'the middle' which was used by the Kaurna, a local aboriginal tribe.

Under the trailblazing guidance of winemaker Corrina Wright, there are now near 50 blocks of different varieties and clones. A McLaren Vale melting pot!

Winemaker Corrina Wright Oliver's Taranga

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