Colección Vivanco 4 Varietales 2017

The 2017 Colección 4 Varietales is an ode to the art of blending and shows how the different varieties can complement each other to deliver something that is more complex and balanced than its parts. It feels more Rioja than the rest of varietals separately and less varietal in character than any of them. The blend is approximately 70% Tempranillo, 15% Graciano, 10% Garnacha and 5% Mazuelo, with no Maturana Tinta, which I think would distort the blend too much and make it more un-Rioja. It's not a blend of the separate wines, as the grapes come from a vineyard in Briones and are fermented in oak vats and then matured in new and second use barriques for 15 months. 6,453 bottles were filled in May 2020. This is still young and lively, and despite its 15% alcohol, it doesn't come through as ripe or warm, and the power is there but nicely balanced.

The four varieties in question are mostly Tempranillo with support from 30% Graciano, Garnacha and Mazuelo, all sourced from the Finca El Cantillo in Briones. Youthful, spicy and smoky, with appealing grip and tannic backbone, good acidity for a 2017 and bramble and blueberry fruit framed by nuanced French oak. 2022-27.