Emilio Rojo 2016

I was lucky enough, because in the last couple of years Emilio Rojo has saved some 300 liters of wine to bottle in magnum almost one year after the regular bottles were filled. So I was able to taste the 2016 Emilio Rojo from a small tank where the wine has been resting after being racked off the lees over one year ago, waiting to fill some 150 magnums. I say I'm lucky, because he doesn't have a single bottle in his cellar: He sells all the wine, as demand is higher than production. 2016 was a challenging year, with plenty of rain, low temperatures and high risk of diseases. "But I spend all my time in the vineyard, and we live with oidium and mildew, so these diseases never take me by surprise. I didn't have any particular problems in 2016." He talks highly about 2015, a warmer and ripe year, and this 2016 seems fresher and has more acidity. It has developed aromas of ripe yellow plums, pollen and moss, with an earthy sensation akin to licking a cold granite rock. It has a tasty and electric palate with an almost salty finish. This should develop very nicely in bottle.