ÀN/2 2017

I also sampled the still-unbottled 2017 AN/2, the "second" red wine. With a production of about 20% less than normal, it comes from a challenging year, where they worked hard in the selection (they have an optical sorting table, which allowed them to select the quality of grapes they want for the wine). It is mostly Callet with small amounts of Fogoneu and Mantonegro and a touch of Syrah from slightly younger vines, so the Syrah adds color and structure. It fermented in stainless steel and concrete vats with yeasts they have isolated from their own vineyards. It aged in new, second and third use oak barrels, with a small percentage of American and Central European oak. It has a perfumed nose with plenty of lactic notes and generous spice and smoke with a touch of violets and meat, marked by the élevage in barrel. The palate is juicy and revealed fine-grained tannins and plenty of oak-related flavors. I found it quite marked by the oak. This was in a tank settling down waiting for bottling, so it's very young. They expect to fill around 200,000 bottles.