Gramona III Lustros Brut Nature 2012

Complex mineral, macadamia and pineapple nose. Wonderfully engaging with a well-defined, savoury and toasty finish, inviting you to drink again. Delicious and well-made, with the power booster on for a protracted finish. A real jewel.

The 2012 Brut Nature III Lustros was cropped from a very low-yielding year after an extremely dry winter and the implementation of cover crops in the vineyards that resulted in 30% to 35% less grapes. But it was not an extreme year like 2003 or 2015, and the wine is fresher and balanced. This has great aromatic complexity, with balsamic notes, hints of petrol, beeswax, nuts and pollen. Dry, with a touch of bitterness, it's vertical and long, ending very dry and with tiny bubbles. It's more restrained and young and less exuberant than warmer years; this is more in line with 2010, more on the elegant side. The cork allows for a little more exchange, and they start with more pressure here, because it loses more. But it's super integrated and fills your mouth in a silky way. It's a blend of 65% Xarello and 25% Macabeo that matured with the lees in the bottle, which was closed with a cork stopper (rather than a crown stopper), for no less than 87 months. No sugar was added when it was disgorged. 61,000 bottles produced. The bottle I tasted was hand disgorged in February 2019.