Vagüera Cuvee Rapadal 2016

The leesy and characterful white 2016 Vagüera Cuvée Rapadal comes from the same plot as the regular Vagüera, but here de Dios uses a mélange of up to 15 different varieties that are all planted together in this tiny plot that was planted over 100 years ago. The full clusters were pressed, the juice let to settle and then put to ferment in oak barrels with indigenous yeasts. The wine matured in 300-liter oak barrels for 12 months. 2016 was a fresher vintage, and the wine has amazing freshness while also being nuanced, elegant and complex. The palate is super tasty and finishes with an almost salty sensation. This is full of character, quite unique and difficult to place if tasted blind. It should develop beautifully in bottle. Only 490 bottles were filled in January 2018.