La Mimbrera Graciano 2018

When Puyaubert bought La Mimbrera vineyard in Ábalos, there were old vines used for the regular La Mimbrera bottling, but part of the land lay fallow, so he planted Graciano; those vines now produce the 2018 La Mimbrera Graciano. It's a warm terroir in a Mediterranean environment of rosemary and thyme, the only place that was not hit by the 2017 frost, a place apt for the grape, with gravel and lots of active limestone in the soil. He wanted a Graciano of freshness, elegance and spice, and this example certainly shows it, with lots of cracked peppercorns and cloves, an herbal touch and a medium-bodied palate with only 13% alcohol and great freshness. It's very nice but somehow lacks the depth and layers of the old vines. This also had an integral vinification and aging in barriques. 1,000 bottles were filled in March 2020.