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.
critic reviews
The 2019 La Vizcaina La Poulosa was the first vineyard to be harvested, so the wine is a lot fresher than in the past. They now control almost 100% of the vineyards they use, which has also translated into more precision. It's still juicy and approachable. 9,000 bottles produced. They now have almost three hectares in this cru.
Glistening ruby-red. Ripe, spice-tinged blackberry, cherry cola, licorice and pungent floral qualities on the fragrant nose. Intense red and dark berry liqueur flavors are energized by building spice and smoky mineral flourishes. Concentrated as well as lively and focused, finishing with strong, youthfully tannic persistence and suggestions of candied violet and exotic spices.