Los Confines 2016

The year is cooler in the 2016 Los Confines than in the previous 2015, but the wine is still quite creamy with a luxurious texture provided by the oak combined with the glycerin, as it's nearly 15% alcohol. This comes from two vineyards (50/50, approximately), one on slate-like soils and the other on granite (in the village of San Bartolomé de Pinares). The destemmed grapes from each vineyard fermented in oak foudres with natural yeasts, and after pressing the wines matured in those same vats for approximately 14 months. It has notes of cereals and grain, intermixed with spices and smoke and a core of ripe red fruit. The palate is medium-bodied, with a creamy texture, fine tannins and some oak flavors and a bitter twist on the finish, which is also a little warm. There is less oak than in the previous vintage, but it still makes me think that this is a Gredos for lovers of Ribera del Duero... And I'd wait a little bit more for better integration of the oak. 3,354 bottles and 40 magnums produced. It was bottled in September 2017.