Winemaker Notes
Dark cherry red with intense bluish nuances, deep and bright. High intensity on the nose, with dominating ripe red fruit and sweet sensations from barrel ageing. Complex, balsamic and mineral background. Tasty in the mouth, with rounded tannins and a pleasant freshness on the palate. Great concentration of fruit and a velvety finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Plums, dark cherries and a subtle touch of violets on the nose. Balanced, with firm tannins and precise dark fruit. Drink or hold.
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Jeb Dunnuck
From a Tinto Fino Quintana clone selected from century-old vines, known for its concentration, the 2021 Crianza Pradorey Finca Valdelayegua also has 5% Merlot. It’s smooth and drinkable upon release, with silky tannins and older French oak playing a subtle role. Ripe and full-bodied, it has the complexity of the region and muscle, with spicy vanilla and blackberry richness complemented by balsamic and dried herb. It will age 10-15 years, if not more.
Spanish red wine is known for being bold, heady, rustic and age-worthy, Spain is truly a one-of-a-kind wine-producing nation. A great majority of the country is hot, arid and drought-ridden, and since irrigation has only been recently introduced and (controversially) accepted, viticulture has sustained—and flourished—only through a great understanding of Spain’s particular conditions. Large spacing between vines allows each enough resources to survive and as a result, the country has the most acreage under vine compared to any other country, but is usually third in production.
Of the Spanish red wines, the most planted and respected grape variety is Tempranillo, the star of Spain’s Rioja and Ribera del Duero regions. Priorat specializes in bold red blends, Jumilla has gained global recognition for its single varietal Monastrell and Utiel-Requena has garnered recent attention for its reds made of Bobal.