Michelini i Mufatto El Rapolao 2017

The 2017 El Rapolao comes from the west-facing slope of the same name in the village of Valtuille, where a number of producers—who are also friends—help each other produce and bottle wine. They source grapes from 0.5 hectares planted with Mencía some 30 years ago on clay and boulder soils that deliver wines with a different profile than those from Ponferrada, where the soils are rich in slate. 2017 was a very challenging year with frost, hail, draught and high temperatures, hence the low yields. The old vineyards always have a field blend of varieties but are mostly Mencía. The whole bunches fermented in tinaja with indigenous yeasts, and the wine matured in 228-liter oak barrels for 20 months. 2017 is more concentrated and tannic, and the longer élevage has kind of accentuated that character. However, El Rapolao seems to be more homogeneous across vintages and doesn't show the differences of the year as much, which is something that the vineyards used for A Merced seem to show more. There are notes of cherries and flowers, with a herbal/fresh side. The palate is medium-bodied, with some grainy tannins and a tasty finish. Only 900 bottles produced.