Jose Gil

Rioja (San Vicente)

Vino de Pueblo San Vicente 2021

Size

This village wine is from a collection of vineyards in the highlands around San Vicente, at altitudes of 500m and above, from different sites and soils. Of San Vicente’s six valleys, all but la Rad figure. The composition is Tempranillo with 20% Garnacha and a little Viura. Manual harvest; destemmed; all the plots are made separately, then blended.

After fermentation in the concrete cubes in Briones, 40% of the village blend lingers in concrete, while the balance has ten months of gentle ageing is in old 500L barrels in the medieval cellar of San Vicente’s Castle Davalillo.

The whole orchard on display: wood, flowers and fruits of cherry, apple, boysenberry, plum, blackberry. Cut to shape by hyssop, juniper, dry brown spices, orchard bark. Savoury-juicy, open, perfumed, round. Gravel and iron soil nuance the satin fruit-tannin sumptuousness. A wine of great harmony and balance, and as it lingers, fruitfulness is beautifully trimmed by tannin to the finish where spice, bitters and easy nutty acid join in the violets-in-earth gorgeousness.