El Escolladero 2018Artuke - 75 cl.

The 2018 El Escolladero is a single-vineyard bottling from a plot in the village of Ábalos. It's a blend of 85% Tempranillo and 15% Graciano from vines planted in 1950 on classical clay and limestone soils at 600 meters in altitude. The uncrushed grapes fermented in concrete vats with indigenous yeasts, and the wine had an élevage of one year in 600-liter oak barrels. This is a little riper, earthier, perhaps a little more rustic than the La Condenada or Paso las Mañanas. This is a lot more open, expressive and aromatically advanced and a little rounder and softer. From the 2018s, the Locos and Escolladero are more Mediterranean, and the Mañas and Condenada feel more Atlantic (cooler climate). The tannins are silky and polished, fine-grained and round within that chalky texture. 1,200 bottles were filled in January 2020.