Mazuelo de la Quinta Cruz 2017

Different in style from the 2018, with more colour, more intensity and more "Mediterranean flavours", according to Miguel Merino Junior. A little firmer and grippier, too, but this is far from a rustic wine. Savoury, spicy and slightly meaty with bramble and red cherry fruit, a hint of reduction and racy acidity. 2025-32

A wine that has disappointed me in previous vintages was a revelation this time. Despite the challenging year, the 2017 Mazuelo de la Quinta Cruz has a floral and harmonious nose, and it's clean and expressive, medium-bodied and fluid, balanced and elegant, with very fine tannins and a long, dry and clean finish. It's a lot more elegant than the majority of Mazuelo/Cariñena bottlings. It's also a single-vineyard wine from a plot on the east slope of the Calvario Mountain in Briones, 1.2 hectares planted in 1986. It has moderate alcohol and very good freshness, ripe without excess, and it should show even better with a little more time in bottle, as it still shows a little of the élevage in three 225-liter barriques. 1,485 bottles were filled in March 2019.

One of the few single-variety Mazuelos in Rioja, from a vineyard in Briones planted on gravelly soils in 1986. Matured in 500L and 225L French oak, giving fine cedar aromas, overlaying redcurrant and blueberry fruits. The palate is rich: blue and red fruits, spice, well-balanced freshness. Supple tannins and a ripe finish. A difficult, frostbitten year, but a fine wine.