María 2019 Magnum

Alonso del Yerro's top wine, named after its charming owner, combines equal parts of two of the estate's parcels in Roa: El Circo on red clay soils and Violeta on gravel, sand and chalk. Enticingly perfumed, with scents of rose petal and potpourri, subtle 20% new French oak and layers of pomegranate, tangerine and red berries. 2024-35

The wines here are quite homogeneous and keep the poise and the house style—clean, modern and concentrated—but they always show the effect of the year, as it should be. The 2019 María was cropped from a warmer and drier year that delivered powerful wines from grapes that ripened faster, and the main difference with the 2018 that I tasted next to it is the quality of the tannins, as I also saw in the regular Alonso del Yerro cuvée. The tannins are grainier, and there's a stronger sensation of rusticity and earthiness; it doesn't come through as refined and elegant as the 2018. But it's still very good, among the best in this style from the vintage, with noticeable oak but not dominating the wine. Ironically enough, the wine has a little less alcohol than the 2018—this is 14%. 5,500 bottles and 100 magnums produced. It matured for 15 months in French barriques, 25% of them new. - Luis Gutiérrez. 

A deep nose that makes you feel like this is too closed now. Clearly needs time to open up as the fruit is a little shy with some blackberries and blueberries to the graphite and dark chocolate. Dry on the palate without a hint of sweetness. Oodles of fine tannins here that are tight and chocolaty, as if 90% dark chocolate has melted on the palate. Powdery with a hint of bitterness in the finish. Better from 2025. - Zekun Shuai. Senior Editor.