2016 Alegre Valgañón Garnacha Rioja

Produced with Garnacha from a centenary vineyard in Cárdenas on red stony soils at 650 meters in altitude, the 2016 Garnacha fermented in an oak cask and was transferred to two 500-liter oak barrels for malolactic and aging. It's a ripe but fresh Garnacha with textbook cherries-in-liqueur aromas, Mediterranean herbs and some spices. The oak is unnoticeable, perfectly folded into the wine. The palate is round, lush, powerful, mineral, expressive and complex. I tasted this twice, once before bottling in December and just after bottling. 1,100 bottles were filled in January 2018.