2013 Pie Franco

Ungrafted vines are called pie France (franc de pied in French). This is where the 2013 P.F. gets its name. This 2013 vintage of P.F. is produced with the grapes from three old, ungrafted Bobal vineyards (where there is always a field blend with small amounts of other grapes). It is whole-cluster fermented in oak vats with indigenous yeasts and matured in third- and fourth-use 600-liter oak barrels for 11 months. There is an extra creaminess compared to the 2013 La Casilla that has red and black fruit plus mineral hints. The palate is medium-bodied, with abundant tannins and mineral tones of sand and rock. This is an austere, slightly intellectual wine that with time in bottle should polish and melt those tannins. If you want to open it now you should go for some powerful food like meat stews or game. This is different from the other wines, but like the others from this producer it's a sure value. 12,000 bottles produced.