2012 Cirsion

The top of the range and exclusive 2012 Cirsion is always a controversial wine, no less because of the bulky price tag. It's the prototype of voluptuous and showy modern Rioja, produced from very ripe grapes. Crision is made from only selected vines within a specific plot of very old vines. The tannins are so ripe that they reckon the polymerization of the tannins start inside each grape, and therefore the tannins are very polished and need less time in barrel. That's why the most expensive wine is always released much earlier than the other ones and we're already on the very dry 2012 harvest. The elevage is in new wood, which also makes the wine ready more quickly, but the aging period is quite short at around nine months. It's mostly Tempranillo, but in this vintage it also contains some 10% Graciano, the first time ever. The peculiarity of 2012 is that it comes after a very warm and early vintage, and there was little water in the soil, so it all started quite slowly. 2012 turned out to be an extremely dry vintage with extremely low yields. There are plenty of notes of cocoa, espresso coffee and roasted wood that might need some time integrate in the wine and give way to those aromas of damp earth, violets and small blackberries. The ripeness and style of the oak reminded me of the style of the late 1990s. The palate is ripe and lush, and it does not transmit any heat. Winemaker Agustin Santolaya reckons that the Graciano provided a special freshness that balanced the wine. Yields were low and there was little vegetation, too; it was a special year, with small amounts of quality wines. There is no Cirsion in 2013 or 2014. In 2015, it will also have a small percentage of Graciano. Analytically, it's quite low in acidity, which also makes it soft and round. 3,535 bottles produced. Aug 2016, www.robertparker.com