La Faraona 2015 en Primeur

If 2012 was a short vintage, the yields for the 2013 La Faraona were little short of catastrophic. The nose was explosive, with aromas of gunpowder (pun intended!) and black pepper, orange peel, aniseed, fennel and aromatic herbs, wild berries and a fine, almost chalky minerality. But if the nose is captivating, it's in the palate where the wine shows greatness - austere, long, elastic, mineral, focused, with laser-like definition and superb length. Somehow it made me think of a Cabernet Franc from the Loire. I have to say that this is the first time I have seen real greatness in La Faraona, and in 2013 it's the best wine from Descendientes. Only 432 bottles and seven magnums were produced, the shortest vintage ever.