Tarima Monstrell 2020

Deep ruby with purple lights. Floral and bright dark fruit in your mint, chocolate, and a subtle depth of herbs and floral qualities. Dark cherry and currant fruit, chocolate, liquorice, pepper, and meaty notes on the palate. Some concentration with not much finesse; chewy tannins with the chalky finish; good structure and fit body(alcohol strength 14.5% ABV). Medium finish. Can age- the fruit will survive for some years.

Compared to 2019, 2016 and 2014 in the past, 2020 has a fuller spectrum of primary tones(plums, blackberry) and secondary tones(Leather, tobacco, chocolate). It is fresher and will develop well in 3 years. It is at riper vintage with wide temperature variation in the last weeks of August and the first of September. Slow ripening of the Monastrell points to some intensity. Vineyards are at an altitude of 600 to 750 metres, so we expect more elegance.

So there is traditional viticulture with minimal intervention, using 40 years-old vines of100 % Monastrell on limestone bedrock under chalk topsoil.

Harvest takes place in the second fortnight of October to facilitate wine structure and ripeness. Native yeasts, fermentation in vats, malolactic fermentation in steel pools, and ageing in a French mix of Bordelais and Burgundian barrel (used the previous year for Tarima Hill) for six months fruit-forward Mourvedre style, and the wine is not oaky at all.

Consistent scores across vintages. Vintage 2020 gets Etherwine92. More scores award to it soon, most likely in the 92 - 93 range.