Mencia
Mencía is the main grape variety of the appellation Bierzo and has been grown in the northwest of Spain since the Romans. After the phylloxera plague that destroyed most of the European vineyards in the 19th century, Mencía became more and more common to produce aromatic and fruity wines with deep colour (it was even believed to be a clone of Cabernet Franc, which was introduced in Galicia in the 19th century). Mencía is also widely grown in the southeast of Galicia (Ribeira Sacra, Valdeorras and Monterrei) and in Portugal (where it’s called Jaen). Mencía is a productive variety that allows severe pruning and which may easily be grown on a trellis system. It’s not resistant to fungal diseases (botrytis is common in bush vines as well as downy and powdery mildew) and it’s also sensitive to grape moth, but less to mites.
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AMPELOGRAPHIC DETAILS |
YOUNG SHOOTS
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Distribution of anthocyanin pigmentation (shoot tips) |
Scarce |
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Fuzz (or hair) density (shoot tips) |
Scarce |
SHOOTS
|
Growth |
Semi-upright |
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Back side internode colour |
Green |
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Internodes fuzz (or hair) density |
Scarce to medium |
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In August, shoots turn to light brown and deeply grooved with poor ramification and relevant nodes. |
TENDRILS
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Length |
Medium |
VINE STOCK
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Vigour |
Medium |
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Growth |
Vertical tendency |
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Budbreak |
Short cycle |
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Ripening |
Medium cycle |
ADULT LEAF
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Size |
Medium |
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Leaf blade shape |
Pentagonal lobed blade with 5 lobes hardly defined |
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Swelling on the upper side |
Slightly curved |
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Serrations (shape and length) |
Scarce and convex with rounded teeth |
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Petiolar sinus shape |
Half-open V-shaped |
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Petiole (shape and colour) |
Pale green with pinkish nuances |
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Anthocyanin pigmentation of underside main veins |
None |
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FOLIAR SINUS |
|
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Fuzz (or hair) density between veins (bent hairs) |
Scarce, isolated glomeruli, woolly |
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Fuzz (or hair) density between veins (upright hairs) |
Scarce |
BUNCH / CLUSTER
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Size and compactness |
Medium sized and medium compact. Berries with uniform colour and size |
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Petiole length |
Very short and hardly lignified |
BERRY
|
Size |
Medium |
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Shape |
Elliptic acuminate |
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Point of rupture |
Spherical with deep scar |
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Skin colour and thickness |
Greyish blue. Thick and tight |
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Anthocyanin pigmentation of flesh |
None |
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Special flavours |
Scarce |
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Pedicel detachment |
Difficult |
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Seeds |
Yes |
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Main colour (without visible surface bloom) |
Bluish deep red garnet |