Las Quebradas 2017

I tasted two vintages, 2016 and 2017, two very different years, of their top single-vineyard Monastrell bottlings, including the 2017 Las Quebradas from a vineyard covered in limestone boulders (caliche). This is a pure Monastrell from very poor soils, and it fermented with indigenous yeasts in square oak vats with manual punch-down of the cap. This showcases the power of the elegance, austerity and dry texture of the rocky limestone soils, the warmth of the Mediterranean and an elegant rusticity that makes it very attractive. The decision between this and the Estrecho is more a matter of taste, but the quality level is pretty similar, and very high! I'll give this the edge in 2017. 3,000 bottles were filled in February 2019.