Salia 2011

"Salia was born as a more accessible version of the Finca Sandoval, a blend with more Garnacha and Garnacha Tintorera, still with a majority of Syrah, and in recent years it adds a small percentage of the local Moravia Agria (5% in this 2011), a grape that has high acidity and provides good freshness in blends, especially in warm years like 2011. As all the wines here, it's fermented in open-top fiberglass vats with indigenous yeasts, pressed in a vertical basket press, aged for 11 months in used 300-liter oak barrels and bottled with low levels of sulfur. It is quite elegant, with aromas of blueberries, subtle black olives and smoked bacon and plenty of balsamic notes showing good balance. The medium to full-bodied palate is a little closed, has round tannins framing the juicy and tasty flavors. Still very young and undeveloped, it shows good balance and fresh acidity; it is primary but already drinkable. With time in the glass the meatiness of the Syrah dominates. 20,762 bottles."