Tentenublo Tinto 2017

“The red 2014 Tentenublo is a multi-grape, multi-vineyard blend from different plots at 590 meters altitude in the village of Viñaspre. This wine wants to be the expression of the village, a 'village' wine selected from the red soils of the different vineyards. The varietal breakup is approximately 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha and 5% each of the whites Viura and Malvasía Riojana, which Oliván usually calls Alarije (its original name in Extremadura). It fermented in a combination of open top, stainless steel and PVC vats with indigenous yeasts (like all the wines here), with malolactic in barrel, where the wine matured for ten months. The wine took a little bit of time to take off; it is very tight and powerful, but deep. The palate is medium-bodied with round tannins and a polished mouthfeel. 7,840 bottles produced. It was bottled in August 2015.

I went to Viñaspre to visit some of Roberto Oliván's vineyards to get a better understanding of his wines. He works a myriad of tiny plots with very old vines, some of which are almost dying and many plants are missing, so yields are tiny. Truly handcrafted terroir wines.“