2021 Rioja Vina Del Olivo
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Tasting Notes
The 2021 Rioja Vina del Olivo offers an elegant and refined nose with crushed red berries, hints of savoury notes and a certain earthiness. Welcoming and surprisingly fresh on the palate, with delicate tannins, a subtle nerve of acidity and deep red fruit flavours on the mid palate. Stylistically this is similarly powerful and rich but more delicate and refined than 2020, thanks to the cooler climate conditions in 2021 that better suit this cuvee. Its balance is impeccable with on the one hand a feeling of warmth and power and on the other a perfumed elegance. This will age gracefully over the next decade, but will also provide immediate pleasure if opened in its youth. Excellent!
Critic Scores
Average Score
Tim Atkin MW
Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
Well, well, well. This is one of the best wines of an outstanding vintage, demonstrating that this warm Rioja Alavesa site performs best in cooler vintages. It's a wine that oozes quality from the first sniff, all blackcurrant leaf, coffee bean and wild herbs, leading into a palate of mocha, plum and blackberry. The palate is refined, polished and beautifully freighted, marrying Tempranillo, 15% Graciano and 5% each of Mazuelo and Garnacha to (near) perfection. I can't recall a better wine from the estate. Bravo!
The 2021 Viña del Olivo comes from one of the few non-alluvial plots on the property, as it has clay and limestone soils, a pure south exposure with vines planted in 1980 that produce deep wines with very good aging potential. It fermented in oak vats and matured in oak barrels for 14 months followed by another two months in oak vats. It's 80% Tempranillo, 15% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo with 13.85% alcohol, a pH of 3.57 and 5.3 grams of acidity. It surprised me with its finesse and elegance, a big change. There's no sensation of oak, and it's fresh, profound and floral, with concentrated back berry fruit, a touch of bacon (but all very subtle), a vibrant palate (the Graciano and the year?) and very fine tannins. It's still a baby but has gobsmacking balance and very fine tannins. I already liked the 2020, but this is one step above. Possibly the finest Olivo to date... 15,333 bottles and some larger formats produced. It was bottled in July 2023.
