Trossos Vells 2018

Trossos Vells is a hundred per cent Cariñena, a hundred per cent pure. A fantastic wine for getting to know the potential and singularity of the Montsant region, starting life under the inclement Mediterranean sun, on savvy old grapevines, well-balanced and capable of retaining freshness even during the driest of years. It's made from a selection of the best grapes grown in nine vineyards, planted with different sun exposures and altitudes, on red clay soils, and matured for 12 months in 225 and 300-litre French oak barrels, and none of them new. What we'll find with Trossos Vells is a glassful of earthiness, a lovely silky dryness. It's an austere yet elegant wine, which captivates us precisely because of that refined restraint and because of the Cariñena, always noble, profound and seductive, a grape accustomed to taking its time. The nose picks up the harshness of the landscape and the sheer purity and loveliness of that select and selected fruit; only grapes which reach optimum ripeness will find their way into your glasses, as increased production is sacrificed in the interests of better quality. On the palate it's direct, fresh and profound, enabling specific nuances to be distinguished, of dried figs, a subtle brushwood dampness, undertones of liquorice root, tanned leather, iron and earth, although it's best defined by its individuality, its polished roundness and that purity we mentioned at the beginning. When austere equates to elegant it's simply perfect. A wine for putting on the table and reflecting on.