R. Parker (94/100)
The pure Cariñena 2014 L'Hostal was cropped from old vines on limestone soils. It fermented with full clusters in concrete vats with indigenous yeasts with a 30-day maceration and matured in oak barrels for 36 months. They feel Cariñena needs longer vinification and also longer élevage, as it then overcomes its rusticity and turns more elegant and nuanced. It was a wetter and cooler year, but they were able to harvest their grapes before the rains that damaged many vineyards; it was not an easy year, but for them it turned out quite balanced. They have experimented a lot with foot treading, when and for how long, and they feel the wines are gaining in precision with each vintage. The palate is medium to full-bodied with dusty tannins and with some rustic elegance. It does have more complexity and depth than the 2012, and it should develop even more nuances in bottle. My guess is this is going to have a long life in bottle. A superb Cariñena. 1,200 bottles were filled in November 2017. It will be released around October 2018. The following years will be 2015 and 2017.