Les Manyes 2021

The impressive 2021 Les Manyes was very young and a little closed, even reductive and took time in the glass to take off. It slowly developed an acute note of violets and wild plants. It has a little more color than the 2019, but the maceration was more or less the same, so it must be from the year. It's very attractive, juicy and easy to drink, with notes that made me think of Château Rayas. It's fresher than the 2019 I tasted next to it. It's elegant and fruit-driven, right now very young, and it still doesn't have the complexity that it should gain over time. 2,688 bottles produced. It was bottled in June 2022.

An epiphany here with its wild, tangy nose full of white pepper, mezcal, blood oranges, forest floor and dried herbs. Really broad and precise, with a chunk of fine, mealy tannins that knit seamlessly on the palate. Nice bitterness at the end to seal it up before an extremely long, nervy finish. Pure garnacha peluda from Les Manyes vineyard. It goes on and on. 3506 bottles. Irresistibly attractive now, but can hold.

I'm not sure Garnacha gets much better than this. A light layer of smoky reduction gives way to reveal superbly detailed, vivid flavours of earthy strawberries, rose petals, wild herbs, crushed rocks and anis. There's restraint to the palate but encouraged by a quiet force, constantly moving the wine onwards, across taut, etched tannins that crumble into powder as they settle. Incredible freshness and persistence, with a finish that never seems to end. A stunning, moving wine that deserves every applause it receives. Bravo! 2024-2030