El Escolladero, Rioja, 2022
Raised in used 600L foudre for 12 months. The 2022 is a blend of 85% Tempranillo and 15% Graciano. The nose is awash with elderberry, black cherries and wild thyme. The palate is juicy and complex with profound dark fruit, liquorice and a peppery spice. It has a great intensity and a fine-grained grip on the finish.
critic reviews
El Escolladero is a vineyard planted in 1950 in the village of Abalos at 660 meters in altitude. As with most reds, I tasted two vintages of it, 2021 and 2022. 2022 was a very warm and dry year, and the 2022 El Escolladero is slightly higher in alcohol than the 2021 at 14.1%, but the sensation is of higher ripeness. It's a little more rustic, with darker fruit and some hints of licorice and crushed stones. The palate is full-bodied, with abundant tannins, powerful but elegant. 2,000 bottles were filled in December 2022.