2013 Pujanza Norte

The Pujanza 2013 Norte is Tempranillo cropped from the Finca Norte vineyard. It's really called San Román, but they couldn't use that name; the nickname people apply to it is north, because of the strong north winds that make it very healthy and somehow cool. It's a 2.7-hectare plot on clay and limestone soils, where the limestone mother rock is at some 50 centimeters from the surface. The vineyard is north-facing and located at an altitude of 720 meters. Fermentation was in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts, the same as malolactic. There are notes of beef blood intermixed with wild red acid berries and flowers, with good freshness. The upbringing was 14 months in French barriques. The palate is extremely fresh, but combining high acidity with incredible power. There is less difference in the vintages in this Norte than in the Finca Valdepoleo, here it feels like the vineyard--besides being smaller--is more consistent; the character of the place also seems to be stronger than the style of the vintage. Not really easy to decide between this 2013 and the 2014. 11,300 bottles produced.