Valtravieso Vendimia Seleccionada 2018

Ricardo Velasco is making some fantastic wines at Valtravieso at the moment, typified by the quality of this blend of Tinto Fino with 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot from highaltitude Piñel de Arriba. Graphite and cut grass aromas segue into a fresh, nuanced palate with cassis and red berry flavours and a lingering, chalky finish. Ribera del Duero meets Bordeaux. 2022-30. 

Very rich and quite essence-like plum aromas, as well as sweetly fragrant spices. The palate has ripe dark berries with a super fresh, fleshy and succulent feel. Juicy, plum-stone kick at the finish. Drink now.

The 2018 VT Vendimia Seleccionada is a blend of 75% Tinto Fino, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot that fermented separately and matured for 12 months in French oak barrels, 25% of them new. There are some toasted notes intermixed with ripe berries, some flowers and plenty of herbs and spices, continuing the path of freshness that I saw in 2014. It feels a little riper than the pure Tinto Fino, with a medium to full-bodied palate and some dusty tannins. The Cabernet and Merlot change the character of this blend compared with the pure Tinto Fino and also make it a little rounder and more fruit-driven, with a little more spicy oak and a touch of meaty aromas. 7,720 bottles and 300 magnums produced. It was bottled in July 2020.