Enrique Mendoza Finca Xaconero 2018
A Monastrell with 92 Parker points
Do you have any questions?
Monday to Friday from 9am to 20pm
Bodegas Enrique Mendoza is a family-run winery that’s a pioneer in making quality wines in the D.O. Alicante. Enrique Mendoza Finca Xaconero 2018 (92 Parker points) is designed to reflect the character of this area based on the Mediterranean area’s flagship grape: Monastrell. The grapes that go into making it come from old vines grown on the firm’s most valuable estate: Finca el Chaconero (or Xaconero). Matured to perfection in barrels for 12 months.
Consumption features
Serving temperature
Consumption time
General features
Type of wine
Region
Grape variety
90% Monastrell, 5% Syrah, 5% Garnacha roja
Type of barrel
Medium-light-toast French Allier oak barrels
Barrel aging time
12 months
Capacity (cl)
75
Alcohol content (% vol.)
14.5
General Information
Enrique Mendoza Finca Xaconero 2018 is designed from selected grapes from the winery’s own Finca El Chaconero estate in a place called Cabezo de la Virgen. The blend consists chiefly of the native Monastrell grapes from old vines enhanced with a touch of Garnacha and Syrah. The grapes were fermented in small stainless-steel vats at a low temperature (25ºC) with native yeasts from the vineyard. The wine was aged for 12 months in medium-light-toast French Allier oak barrels to bring out the full expression of the fruit.
The Spanish Mediterranean winegrowing scene of the late 1980s was notable for the production of huge quantities of grapes chiefly to make wine in bulk and reds that were used to lend colour and strength to those of other European regions. Fortunately, 1989 saw the emergence in Alfaz del Pi of a winery with the mentality and energy needed to put an end to these practices: Bodegas Enrique Mendoza, based in Marina Alta (D.O. Alicante). Within a short time it broadened its scope of action to a second winery in Villena, where it purchased 80 hectares of vineyards in an exceptional plot: Finca El Chaconero.
Finca El Chaconero is recorded as being given over to cultivating vines since the sixteenth century. This estate owes its traditional name – ‘Las tierras del charco de enero’ (literally ‘lands of the January puddle’) – to the September and October rainfall that used to leave the ground soaked until January. The plot spans 80 hectares of vineyards with different types of soils (pebbly, sandy-loam and sandy), a luxury for winemaking.
Enrique Mendoza Finca Xaconero 2018 (D.O. Alicante) is perfect with dishes such as rice with hare and snails, stewed partridge and beef ragout.
Creators' opinion
Deeply pigmented wine. Ruby-red with maroon hues. The aroma conjures up fresh Mediterranean fragrances of rosemary, broom, lavender, sage and delightfully refreshing bay leaf and pine. Powerful yet harmonious in the mouth with lots of fine, sweet tannins that will ensure it a long life and barrel ageing that elegantly sets off the weight of fruit. Long, harmonious finish combining potency and elegance.
The winery
Bodegas Enrique Mendoza is a family-owned winery founded in 1989 and based in the town of Alfaz del Pi, in Alicante. The seed of the winery was "planted" in the late 1970s by Enrique Mendoza, a viticulturist passionate about enology, who decided to continue the tradition of the Marina Baixa region of producing wine for family consumption.
Today, the project has become well-established, and Bodegas Enrique Mendoza boasts 84.5 hectares of vineyards. The winery prides itself on being a pioneer in the region for introducing renowned international varieties such as the white chardonnay and the red cabernet sauvignon, merlot, pinot, petit verdot, and syrah, while also championing local varieties like monastrell, the queen grape of the D.O. Vinos Alicante, and moscatel.
The winery's philosophy is rooted in respect for the vineyard and the environment, practicing a herbicide- and insecticide-free viticulture with precise care, resulting in wines full of nuances.
Today, the project has become well-established, and Bodegas Enrique Mendoza boasts 84.5 hectares of vineyards. The winery prides itself on being a pioneer in the region for introducing renowned international varieties such as the white chardonnay and the red cabernet sauvignon, merlot, pinot, petit verdot, and syrah, while also championing local varieties like monastrell, the queen grape of the D.O. Vinos Alicante, and moscatel.
The winery's philosophy is rooted in respect for the vineyard and the environment, practicing a herbicide- and insecticide-free viticulture with precise care, resulting in wines full of nuances.