Sierra Cantabria Gran Reserva 2017

Garnet red cherry. Intense aroma, fragrant, complex with aromatic notes, mature red fruits, balsamic, truffle, vanilla, and toast. On the palate, it is vigorous, fresh, and silky, with a good presence of mature tannins and a development of complex aromas. Red fruits perfectly integrated with touches of balsamic, coffee, and oak. Long-lasting finish with hints of fruit, spice, and cocoa. The classical red 2017 Gran Reserva was produced with Tempranillo and 2% Graciano, fermented destemmed and matured in American oak barrels, 25% of them new, for 226 months. The barrels were racked every four months the first year and every six months the second year, and the wine matured in concrete vats for a further 15 months before bottling. They had a killer frost that resulted in 60% lower yields, followed by a warm and dry summer. But they tried all the new machines for sorting and selecting grapes (optical, density...), and that seems to have paid off, even though they didn't necessarily keep those systems. It does have a more classical profile but with hints of modernity, a good compromise, keeping some fruit, and it's clean and surprisingly young for its age. It has some notes of forest floor, truffles, sweet spices and a touch of cured meat. It has 14% alcohol, a little lower in the more traditional wines, a pH of 3.73 and 5.68 grams of acidity. A complex nose full of very good fruit, showing blackberries, dark cherries, hazelnuts and dark chocolate. Balanced with medium to full body, lightly chewy tannins and a long, juicy finish. Still quite youthful. A blend of 98% tempranillo and 2% graciano. Drink from 2026.