Magallanes Optimum 2012

There is a new red that has been produced since 2009, the 2012 Magallanes Optimum is only the second vintage, and the next one will be 2014. It's produced with Tempranillo grapes from two special vineyards that produce very powerful, if fresh wines, on gravel soils at 1,000 meters altitude that are always kept separate but only bottled in really exceptional years. The vinification is very similar to Magallanes, fermenting in 8,000-liter oak vats with indigenous yeasts and an élevage of 20 months in French barriques. It's quite oaky and with a tannic and astringent mouthfeel, a little different in style but already the beginning of a change towards less extraction. The toasty notes are quite strong, with aromas of charred wood and roasted coffee. It has fine tannins and moderate acidity. This is a Tempranillo for fans of powerful and generously oaked reds, quite good in its style, balanced in an XL way. I'd wait a little to achieve a better integration of the oak, but I guess it will always be quite oaky and will keep this profile, as it's been in bottle since April 2015. 1,200 bottles produced.