La Vendimia 2018

The blend of Garnacha and Tempranillo 2018 La Vendimia had been in bottle for a little over one month when I tasted it, yet it felt harmonious and expressive. It's a juicy and fruit-driven 50/50 blend of the two grapes fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts and matured in oak barrels for four months. This year the wine shows more freshness, and in this cooler year, even the Tempranillo feels quite lifted and fresh, with red rather than black fruit, as the variety can suffer in warmer years in this warmer part of Rioja. This is fresh, young and juicy, with round and lush tannins, one of the finest years for this young bottling. 362,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2019.

Lots of beautiful and bright fruit in this Rioja with crushed-berry, flower and raspberry aromas and flavors. Medium to full body. Fine tannins and bright acidity. New-wave Rioja. Drink or hold.