'Estrada' Single Vineyard 2020

Organic and biodynamic, Estrada is a parcel of just 0.64 hectares at 610 metres altitude. She has very shallow soil of chalky clay, facing a cool northeast among forest and a multitude of local herbs. Estrada was planted in the 1940s to a bush-vine field blend of Tempranillo, Graciano and others. The wine was fermented with natural yeast in a large open oak cask, then aged around 15 months in foudre. Just over 1,000 bottles made.

Herbal, elegant, classical and refined, red fruited with touches of anise, fennel herb and pepper. Great elegance, incredibly fine tannin and very pure Rioja-ness. Sweet, herb-saturated red cherry berry fruit, beautifully round and delicate, almost capering in the mouth with sour cherry acidity. The berries are sweet, the tannins are sweet, the acidity is sweet, and the wine, delicate, gently briary, round, energetic verging on electric, tangy and savoury and entirely not sweet, but joyously un-strict.