Hacienda Monasterio Reserva 2018

The grapes for the 2018 Reserva come from the parts of the vineyard where there is more limestone in the soil. Mostly Tinta del País (Tempranillo) with 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, it fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts and matured for 20 months in French barriques, 30% new. Despite 2018 being a cooler and rainier year than 2020, I found this 2018 to be quite riper than the 2018 Hacienda Monasterio that I tasted next to it. This is headier and darker (in aromatic profile, not only in color), full-bodied, tannic and powerful and seems that it comes from a different era (the change was initiated in 2019 but is more noticeable from 2020). It has some of the leafy and balsamic notes from the Cabernet that emerges after some time in the glass. There are 38,000 bottles of this.