Review: Bodegas Enrique Mendoza La Tremenda Monastrell 2017 in Alicante D.O.

Here, I review the 2017 vintage of the La Tremenda Monastrell from Bodegas Enrique Mendoza in Alicante D.O.

Alicante, also called Alacant in the Valencian dialect, is located in the Southeast of Spain. There are two majors areas in the D.O. Rio Vinalopó is located near the city of Alicante. The other is La Marina, incorporated into the D.O. in 1987, along the coast where Moscatel grapes are mostly planted and well-suited for the warm, humid climate.

There are approximately 9,166 hectares under vine within the D.O. Vineyards range in altitue from 0 to over 600 meters above seat level. The soils in Rio Vinalopó are mostly composed of limestone, while soils in Marina Alta are primarily clay. Red wine varietals are restricted to a maximum crop of 9,375 kg per hectare within the D.O.

Bodegas Enrique Mendoza was founded in 1989 near the town of Alfàs Del Pi, about 45 miles from the city of Alicante in the in Rio Vinalopó region. The vineyards are located at an average of 365 meters above sea level, with some sites located as high as 640 meters.

This wine is made from  100% Monastrell, with grapes harvested by hand. The vineyard was planted in 1985. Fermentation occurred in stainless steel tanks over 6 days at 81 degrees Fahrenheit in temperature. Maceration occurred with pumpovers over 9 days. The wine was subsequently aged for 6 months in 225L American Oak barrels and 12 months further in bottle. 

The wine is deep ruby in appearance and on the nose shows notes of blackberries, baking spices, sour cherry, and black pepper. On the palate flavors of black currant and licorice accompany the nose. Overall, this is a rich, spice-forward wine. I found this wine rather unique, with a full body, grippy tannins, and fresh acidity. The wine remained long on the palate. This was a delicious wine displaying the beauty of the Monastrell grape. Pair this with roasted beef, spiced dishes, and root vegetables. 

This wine is a Spanish Wine Review highly recommend!