Guía Peñin (93/100)
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R. Parker (93/100)
The old vines are a great cushion against vintage variation, as seen in the serious, restrained and moderately ripe 2019 Viñas Viejas that was cropped from a warm and dry year. This comes from selected plots that are over 70 years of age and where the Tempranillo is intermixed with some 2% white grapes that also make it into the fermentation vat. The grapes were picked between September 19th and 22nd and fermented by soil (marl, sand and clay). This year, they shortened the time in barrel (500 liter ones) to eight months, and then the wine was transferred to concrete to complete an élevage of some 19 months. It's a little more powerful than the 2020; and the main difference is the quality of the tannins, which are a little grainier and dustier here, as the parameters are quite similar to those of the 2020 I tasted next to it.