2016 Isaac Fernandez Seleccion Adras Mencia Ribeira Sacra D.O. Spain 750 ml

Crafted by Spanish winemaking royalty, the 2016 Adrás translates rugged river valley terroir into Galician poetry in the glass. Here is the lithe structure, juiciness, and spiced, feathery lightness we associate with some of our favorite Pinot Noir—the reason why Mencía like this one sends our judging panel into a state of exultation.

Today’s bottle is flat-out the best Mencía we’ve tasted in over two years. Born of 50-year-old vines, high-toned and lively, it delivers on the dinner table night after night, making a powerful argument for a case-buy. “Another excellent value, as it has been every vintage that I have had the pleasure to taste,” declared Wine & Spirits in their review.

The man behind the wine is Isaac Fernández, nephew of Spain’s greatest winemaker: Mariano García, the head of iconic Vega Sicilia for 30 vintages. Educated and mentored in the craft of viniculture by his world-famous uncle, Fernandez was anointed one of Spain’s “winemaking stars” by Wine Spectator.

Today, the fruits of his breakout talent and steep old-vine vineyards are here. We’ve cut out the middleman, and are bringing this to you at import price instead of the SRP. It’s terms like this that lead sommeliers to stock up on this prized pairing wine by the case. Now you can too, while our allocation holds.

We had the good fortune to travel through Galicia with one of Spain’s leading food writers. It’s the kind of trip we planned as much around restaurants as wineries, darting in and out of seaside bars and fabled food markets, treated to unforgettable grilled scallops and savory empanadas gallegas. Time and again, for lunch and for dinner, we found ourselves ordering a bottle of garnet-hued Mencía—served lightly chilled, it has the kind of fresh, light-bodied zippiness that brings clarity and energy to a meal. And Isaac Fernández, working with noted importer Aurelio Cabestrero, makes one of the best.

The 2016 Adrás has a fine-boned delicacy that defines the variety when grown on the treacherously steep terraces above the Miño River. It’s hard to overstate how steep and jagged these vineyards are: Some are only accessible by boat along the river, and require daredevil footwork to tend to the light-blue clusters. The larger Ribeira Sacra region, named for the monasteries that laboriously perfected the art of vine-growing here in the Middle Ages, possesses slate soils and a cooler climate that invest this Mencía with elegance and purity.

Seven months in used French oak barrels highlights the perfumed violet and dried cherry notes while leaving the tannins long and fine and the finish bone-dry. This was a huge hit at our tasting table, and we suspect it will be at yours too.