An unknown Wine Region worth discovering

In May, I completed a 9 month certification to become a Sommelier.  The class was made up of people from all over Spain and South American from all different backgrounds in the wine region.  It was a great class.  We had all types of wine people; from a Manager from Mexico city from one of the World's top Hotels to Oenologs with their own centuries-old family-owned wineries in Rioja to people like me - no real previous experience, and taking the course out of personal passion and pleasure. 

Out of everyone in that course was a woman from A Coruña in Galicia.  Throughout the course, no matter the topic, she complemented everything with a story, anecdote or fact about wines from the Bierzo.  The "Denominación de Origen del Bierzo" is a small producing wine region in the north-west part of Spain (near Leon).  Recently, this region has been gaining some momentum in Spain, but is still virtually unknown to foreigners.  The D.O. Bierzo produces mainly red wines - full bodied and perfect for red meats and BBQs.

I had never heard of or tried any Bierzo wines before that course.  But Mar became a good friend of mine and we've stayed in touch since the course.  Mar is a wonderful source of information about the region of Spain she is so proud of.  The last time I saw Mar, she surprised me with a few bottles of  Bierzo wine.

Here are my notes about the bottle I shared with my husband, last night:

Name:  Pétalos del Bierzo
Vintage: 2008
Denominación de Origen:  D.O. Bierzo
Grape Variety:  100% Mencía
14% Alcohol
Retail price in Spain:  12,70€

Tasting Notes
Visual: 
Medium to dark opacity. Intense, cherry-red, pinkish hues around the rimm, long legs denotes high alcohol content

Nose: 
(immediately after pouring and before swirling) - intense aroma of rose petals and sub tones of black currant
(after swirling) - intense aromas of camembert and other dairy products, rosemary, thyme, mushrooms, moss, mildew, wet hay.
(after oxygenating) - the aroma of burnt sugar come out.

Mouth:
delicate entry with a small but interesting explosion of tannins.  A long finish - the taste keeps changing and evolving long after the wine has been swallowed.  Notes of black cherry and bush herbs such as rosamary and thyme are apparent.

Pairing:
This wine would pair well with lamb, game, roast turkey, a stew, or roasted root vegetables. This is definitely a winter wine and perfect to enjoy with winter meals.

Conclusion:
What I love about this wine is its intensity and the story it is constantly trying to tell.  It has a full body and is a good mouthful of wine.  We enjoyed this bottled from the moment it came out of our wine fridge and for about 2 hours.  Every time we took a sip, its taste had changed - evolved. I think we opened this bottle a little too soon - keeping it for another year or two would have been a good idea.