Dominio del Soto Camino Gumiel 2021

Camino Gumiel is a brilliant new wine from Ernesto Peña Peña, made with Tinto Fino from an isolated, 35-year-old parcel of 1.6 hectares at 900 metres. Youthful, perfumed, floral and elegant, it has mountain aromas of liquorice and wild thyme, haunting freshness and zip, pomegranate and black cherry fruit and well-integrated 50% new oak. 2025-32

The 2021 Camino Gumiel was the first terroir they isolated because of its elegant and fresh character, no doubt aided by a superb year. It has a higher-pitched nose with a mixture of red and black fruit, flowers and aromatic herbs and nicely integrated oak. This comes from 50-year-old vines at 910 meters above sea level, and it was vinified in concrete and matured in 300- and 600-liter French oak barrels for 21 months. It has lower alcohol than its siblings, 13.8%, and also more freshness and overall balance, with parameters like a pH of 3.47 and 5.03 grams of acidity. The tannins are fine, and the wine is quite fine-boned. 1,555 bottles produced. It was bottled in September 2023.

A ripe, attractive Ribera del Duero that shows minerals, lightly baked berry fruit and some local herbs, with light touches of balsam and cocoa powder adding a bit more complexity and savoriness. Resolved and chalky on the full-bodied palate, but there is nothing hefty in the middle. It’s more minerally and textural than fruity and fleshy. Long but subtle and pure in the finish. 100% tempranillo. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drink or hold.