La Vizcaína El Rapolao 2022

The 2022 La Vizcaína El Rapolao is also dark and ripe, reflecting the very warm and dry conditions of the year. It has the grapes from the same plot they always used—now their property—plus another plot that has some more Alicante Bouschet. It fermented with 100% full clusters. The wine from the original plot matured in used barrels, and the new (which is old) plot matured in an used foudre. The idea is to move all of the wines to foudre; but they find that the wines get reduced, so they are going slowly. It has some oak and a sensation of high ripeness. The wine is clean but feels quite ripe and has black rather than red fruit and an earthy touch with notes of licorice and pepper. It has abundant, slightly dusty tannins. There are some 9,000 bottles. - Luis Gutiérrez.