Adega Damm Amandi is a boutique producer in Galicia’s Ribeira Sacra, working in and around the Amandi subzone, an area known for steep, terraced vineyards above the Sil River. The 2023 Cazama is a single-vineyard Mencía sourced from old vines in Amandi, with multiple references pointing to centenarian plantings in the Viña Cazoga parcel. The estate’s stated approach is low-intervention: fermentations with indigenous yeasts and very low sulfur additions, with production described as extremely limited.

This is also a wine with top-tier critical support. Vinous awarded the 2023 Cazama an excellent 96 points, flagging both its immediate intensity and its long-term promise. Joaquín Hidalgo (Vinous) describes it as “Mencía from old vines in Amandi in Ribeira Sacra,” noting it sits “just outside the DO,” a detail that may matter to appellation-focused buyers but doesn’t read as a stylistic limitation in the glass.

In flavor and structure, Hidalgo emphasizes a dark-fruited, savory profile: it “presents black fruit with hints of herbs and soft mint,” with an early-stage winemaking nuance in the form of “a touch of reduction.” The texture is a key feature. He reports that “the tannins are reactive, giving a compact, lush expression,” which suggests a wine built around youthful grip and concentration rather than immediate softness.

Vinous characterizes Cazama as “a pure, primary red,” and the review is clear about timing: it “should age well but is still very young.” Taken together, the combination of old-vine fruit, minimal-intervention intent, and that compact tannin frame points to a Ribeira Sacra Mencía that is aiming for depth and site expression, with its best drinking likely ahead rather than right at release. Technical details such as élevage and alcohol are not publicly specified in the cited materials.