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
2023 Simbiosis Pet Nat - Mina Penélope
Tasting Notes and Drinking Window:
Ok pleasure seekers, meet your match. As bright, elegant and hedonistic as they come, this is emerging as one of the favorite wines from the micro Mina Penelope estate. This project is only in its beginning stages, but in listening to the land Veronica and Nathan are finding that their red grapes might just be telling them that in this location they’d prefer to make a sparkling wine than a bold dry red. While they are still going to make at least some of their red wines, as well as this pet nat has been received, it’s certain we can anticipate seeing more and more of their juice be dedicated to this project. Way to go with the flow…
Only 100 cases made
Drinking window: Upon release - 4 years
Vintage:
2023
Blend:
40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 25% Carmenere
Producer:
Mina Penélope
Winemaker:
Veronica Santiago - Mexican
Vineyards:
All grapes were sourced from estate vineyards in Valle de Guadalupe, ejido of San Antonio de Las Minas. The vineyards are planted across an undulating hillside at a elevation of 900 to 975 ft elevation, 2 miles from the Pacific. The vines were planted in 2007 in soils of decomposed granite and clay.
Winemaking:
Grapes were harvested at night to maximize freshness and maintain the highest possible levels of acidity, hand destemmed, direct pressed to get the minimum amount of color from the skins. The juice was fermented in stainless steel tanks down to 2.4 brix and then bottled in order to trap the CO2 released during the final fermentation to make a naturally sparkling wine. Only ambient yeast was used for fermtation. the wine was racked several times to avoid sediment in the bottle and disgorged after 8 months in the bottle, though some natural sedimenting will occur.
Sulfites: 50 ppm
Farming:
Organic, sustainable
Alcohol:
11.2