La Poulosa, La Vizcaina de Vinos, Bierzo, 2019

So suave and seductive, the 2019 La Poulosa is a model of glossy charm and deliciousness. Blue fruits, bramble and blackberries vie for attention with layers of chocolate, earth and graphite to a smooth, long finish. Lots to love here and it won’t take forever to come around. Red plums, cherries and violet, floral notes leave the palate animated and awash in beautifully sweet fruits. Picked early in 2019, the lavishness of the vineyard has been tempered with a great sense of freshness and finesse. An east facing, clay-dominant site planted at 550m in 1936. A blend of 4 plots totalling 1.7 hectares, the deeper, water-retaining soils means that La Poulosa is to our mind the most consistent in the La Vizcaina range - being smooth fruited, ripe and handsome, year-in year-out. A slightly higher proportion of Garnacha in the natural field blend here perhaps also helps to add an extra layer of refinement. Whole bunch fermented in large open-top wooden fermenters with no temperature control, kept on the skins for 30-45 days on average and aged for 12 months in used 500L casks and 225L barriques.