Akutain Crianza 2018

The 2018 Crianza was produced with 93% Tempranillo, 5% Garnacha and 2% Viura and bottled at 13% alcohol, a little lower than the 2015 vintage that I also tasted. It matured in used barrels for 23 months. It was a more challenging year with rain and heat and some fungal diseases—they had to work. The grapes have a lot of acidity, and there are some more herbal notes; it's a cooler wine, with finesse and notes of fresh blood. It's different from the others, with citrus freshness, grainy tannins and I think good potential for aging in bottle. 14,000 bottles were filled in June 2021.