The Mina Penélope Estate
Founded: 2014 by Verónica Santiago and Nathaniel Malagón
Region and grape source: Wines are primarily made from organically grown estate vineyards tucked into a tight fold on the valley wall of Valle de Guadalupe. They source from additional select vineyards as needed from vintage to vintage. All are organically maintained.
Winemaker: Verónica Santiago (Mexican born, studied agriculture at University of Monterrey)
Vineyard elevations and grape origins:
- Valle de Guadalupe - 1,000 ft - (Nebbiolo, Mourvedre, Montepulciano, Aglianico, Syrah, Grenache, and Sauvignon Blanc). Decomposed granite and clay soils.
Notes:
- Production is minuscule; everything is done by hand by a husband and wife team who are the definition of the passion one finds in the small growers of the region.
- Vineyard site is 15 years old and Nathaniel Malagon who tends the vineyards comes from one of the oldest grape growing families in Valle de Guadalupe.
- Winemaker Veronica Santiago is one of the most well-respected winemakers in the valley and her pallet has shown itself in blind tastings to be one of the best. The wines she and Nathaniel are making are at once elegant, informed, and remarkably rustic old world in style. These wines follow closely the natural wine making style championed in the Loire and Saone valleys and emulate closely the body compositions and flavor profiles of the wines made in this area with minimal intervention.
Total production: 9 wines, 1,300 cases
2024 Tejadora Brut Nature Sparkling Rosé - Mina Penélope
Tasting Notes and Drinking Window:
A rare wine made with 100% dedication to expression of place. In these bottles is the kind of experience that keeps the romance of wine alive. Almost nothing was made. 11 cases were allocated to the US. A must for anyone who appreciates sparkling wine made in the champagne method.
111 cases made
Drinking window: Upon release - 15 yearsVintage:
2024
Blend:
100% Aglianico
Producer:
Mina Penélope
Winemaker:
Veronica Santiago - Mexican
Vineyards:
Valle de Guadalupe, ejido of San Antonio de Las Minas - Estate vineyards are planted at 1,100 - 950 ft elevation, 2 miles from the Pacific, decomposed granite and clay soils.
Winemaking:
After a harvest on the 15th of September, the grapes were pressed and racked off the skins immediately, and fermented on ambient yeasts in stainless steel tanks for 21 days. The wine remained on the fine less in this take for 147 days before bottling where the second primary fermentation took place. After 9 months in the bottle the wine was disgorged, corked and bottled as is, without any additional dosage.
Sulfites: 6 ppm
Farming:
Organic, sustainable
Alcohol:
12.3%
