Verónica Ortega’s A Bruxa 2023 is a small-production red from Bierzo’s Cobrana zone, bottled under D.O. Bierzo and made from a field blend rooted in old-vine Mencía with a meaningful share of local white varieties. The fruit comes from a single, steep hillside parcel in Cobrana—reported as a 0.46-hectare site at about 750 meters—with very old vines (around 90–100 years) and a mix of decomposed slate and paler, more calcareous soils. Total production is just 1,655 bottles, and it was bottled in March 2025, according to Luis Gutiérrez (Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate).

This is also a turning-point wine for the estate: Gutiérrez reports that the parcel “was always part of the regular Cobrana” bottling, but because the vineyard is being recovered and yields improved, “in 2023, it was vinified separately.” He details a ferment with “75% full clusters” and “a soft maceration of five weeks,” followed by 17 months of élevage split between 300-liter barrels and clay amphorae.

The critical reception is notably strong. Two reviewers rate it 98 points—an excellent, top-tier appraisal for the wine. Jeb Dunnuck calls it “The first vintage,” saying it “speaks well to the tiny parcel’s ability to be great in Ortega’s hands,” and recommends patience: “Hold a bit and drink 2028–2035.” He emphasizes its savory drive, citing “spicy white pepper, dried herb, and enduring earthiness,” alongside “explosive acidity and intensity.”

Gutiérrez likewise highlights perfume and structure: “a more lifted nose, more perfumed,” with “more backbone and very fine tannins,” finishing with the emphatic verdict, “It’s awesome beyond belief!” Vinous (Joaquin Hidalgo, 96 points) notes it can start “initially reductive,” then opens to “blood orange, violet, lavender, plum, incense,” with “firm, grippy tannins” and a “stem-influenced profile,” adding that it “will gain precision and energy with time in bottle.”