Jose Gil El Bardallo 2021

José Gil's 35-year-old parcel of El Bardallo faces north-east at an altitude of 520 metres and produces just 600 bottles for the whole world. Fine, delicately perfumed and very chalky, it showcases Tempranillo and 10% Viura from a cooler site, with graceful tannins, redcurrant, raspberry and rose petal notes and impressive palate length. 2024-35

The 2021 El Bardallo is produced with the grapes from the same plot as in previous years in the zone of San Vicente that names the wine; they believe this plot produces the wines in their cellar that have more finesse. Like the rest of the reds, it fermented with indigenous yeasts and part whole clusters and matured in 500- and 600-liter barrels in their underground cellar. This is serious and elegant, with ripe berry fruit and spice from the élevage, a full palate with pungent flavors, power and persistence but with balance. It has the stuffing to develop nicely in bottle. Only 500 bottles produced. It was bottled in September 2022. - Luis Gutiérrez.