La Nieta 2019

Opens up to a fragrant nose of brambleberries, crushed raspberries, lavender, pine cone and star anise. Medium-to full-bodied with fine, powdery tannins. Textured and mineral. Some peppercorn and walnut on the finish. Tempranillo. Drink after 2022.

The perfumed and floral 2019 La Nieta, which comes from one of the four vineyards around the winery in the helmet of Páganos (Laguardia), is structured and powerful, from a warmer (and sunnier) year, with 14.2% alcohol and a pH of 3.6 and 5.9 grams of acidity. It also shows freshness and elegance, and with time in the glass, one could foresee the finesse that should come out as the wine absorbs the 16 months in new oak barrels with time in bottle, as this was bottled one year before I tasted it. It improved with time in the glass, and it should do the same with years in bottle. This is usually my favorite from the Eguren portfolio, but this time Marcos Eguren's Sierra Cantabria 2019 El Bosque stole the show. 5,000 bottles were filled in July 2021.