We are happy to announce the arrival of the new vintage of 2010 Abad Dom Bueno Blanco and the new 2008 Abad Dom Bueno Tinto Roble from Bodegas del Abad in the Bierzo region of Spain.

This corner of northwestern Spain, hilly, green and temperate, was once the location of Roman gold mines and, for centuries has been the land Christian pilgrims must traverse in order to reach the holy shrine at Santiago de Compostela.

Grape growing and wine making have a long history in El Bierzo but the area had languished for generations as a semi-forgotten wine region. Renewed interest in the indigenous grape of the region, Mencía for reds and Godello for whites, has reinvigorated the winemaking in Bierzo, exemplified by the work being done at Bodegas del Abad.

Founded in 2000 Bodegas de Abad has played a major role in the Bierzo Renaissance.  Bodegas del Abad instituted strict vineyard practices, prohibiting irrigation while also banning pesticides and chemical fertilizers. They reduced yields in their 86 acres of estate vineyards as well as in contract vineyards that they control.  In the bodega the wines ferment naturally with wild yeasts (and without any added sulfites), with the white Godello kept at low temperature in stainless steel for several months prior to bottling. The red Mencía ferments in tank then ages for five months in mixed French and American oak barrels prior to bottling. The final results are pure, unmessed-with wines that express the soil, climate and wine making skill of the Bierzo region and Bodegas del Abad.

2010 Abad Dom Bueno Godello is a gentle, well-rounded white that pairs bright green apple freshness with plump aromas of white peach and melon. A lightly mineral foundation adds complexity and structure to this varietal Godello wine. If you interested in what the wine critics think the Wine Advocate, wine guru Robert Parker’s Magazine awarded the Abad Godello 91 Points in their June 2011 issue and theirs no hurry to drink it as they said, “This lengthy effort will provide enjoyment for another 3 years.”

2008 Abad Dom Bueno Roble uses the indigenous Bierzo region Mencía grape to good advantage, emphasizing the slatey minerality and twiggy, grape seed tannins without neglecting the opaque mulberry-like fruit character. This classic cool climate red expresses herbal wildness and cool river rock firmness all at once. If you like you reds with a bit more age the recent October 2011 issue of Wine & Spirits Magazine scored the Abad Roble 92 Points and said, “A sure bet to lay down for at least five years”.