La Cóncova 2018

he 2018 La Cóncova has an intoxicating and hypnotic nose that has a mixture of violets, lilies, soya sauce, wild herbs and berries, curry and exotic spices a little à la Vosne-Romanée. This was produced from an extremely old plot of around 130 years, planted with a field blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha, Viura, Palomino, etc. It's in San Vicente bordering Ribas de Tereso, where the altitude reaches 600 meters. It has the depth and poise of old vines in a cool place in a cool vintage; it has power and elegance; and it's nuanced, complex and harmonious. It had a respectful vinification and aging with indigenous yeast and part of full clusters, and it matured in a (I guess not new) 300-liter French oak barrel. You rarely find wines like this from a young project in Rioja. Bravo! Again, the bad news is that there are only 380 bottles of this gem. It was bottled in September 2019.

Even better than the 2016 release, which was already pretty special, this is fast becoming
one of the most exciting wines in San Vicente. Sourced from a 130-year-old vineyard of 0.5
hectares at 600 metres, it’s a remarkable cuvée of Tempranillo with 30% Garnacha and 5%
Viura and Garnacha Blanca. Fresh, refined and chiselled, it's complex, long and hauntingly
balanced. 2023-35