Cubos de Páramo Villacalbiel 2016

Another project here was to produce a red with Prieto Picudo, which resulted in the 2016 Cubos del Páramo Villacalbiel. The grapes come from an old vineyard on stony soils at 800 meters altitude in the village of Villacalbiel. The full clusters fermented in open-top 500-liter oak barrels, where the wine matured for 12 months. It's creamy and spicy, certainly different, gentler than the majority of Prieto Picudo out there. If you were to push me, I'd say it has a little too much oak and it gives it a certain commercial profile, possibly the effect of the barrels. But the palate is tasty and lively with acidity, with moderate alcohol and some dusty tannins that give it a slightly rustic, earthy profile. A very good start; I'd love to see how this does in future vintages when the barrels give less aromas and flavors to the wine. 1,200 bottles were filled in February 2018. Even though the vineyards are within Tierras de León, the wine does not carry the appellation of origin seal.