El Predilecto 2021

l Predilecto is a new wine from the brilliant David González, showcasing the unwooded delights of Garnacha and 35% Tempranillo from the cooler Alto Najerilla and Samaniego. Floral, sappy and lightly reduced, with wet stone undertones, sappy bramble and blueberry fruit and a tangy finish. 2023-28

The new young red 2021 El Predilecto recovers Predilecto, which was a historic brand of the house, a wine with less aging than the rest and more fruity character. In this case, they want it to show the fruit expression of the vineyard without oak. They call it the new old concept in Rioja, what the wines used to be before the arrival of the French, pure fruit. It's a blend of 65% Garnacha from Cárdenas and Cordovín and 35% Tempranillo from Samaniego that fermented destemmed but uncrushed (so not exactly a carbonic maceration) with clean and fresh aromas and flavors. It's ripe and hedonistic, with 14.5% alcohol and good freshness. It matured in concrete for five months. 37,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2022. - Luis Gutiérrez.