QS2 2013

"Bottled in June 2015 and to be released around October, the 2013 Qs2 is very aromatic, a wine that has to be accessible early on, as the market is demanding approachable wines and they are selling quite well. 2013 was a cool vintage and the wine shows fresh and very open, quite fruit-driven and expressive. Sardón de Duero is quite a warm place, so a fresh vintage is actually good; they harvested early-ish and they realized they didn't have any problems. It is mostly Tempranillo complemented by some 20% Bordeaux grapes with a higher proportion of full-clusters than in previous years, and the élevage was in a mixture of 1,200-, 600- and 225-liter oak barrels. Time in oak has been shortened since 2011, and in 2013 it lasted for some 14 months. It's very floral, something winemaker Jérôme Bougnaud thinks comes from the Petit Verdot, with bright cherries, some notes of peach, with very little or no influence from the oak, becoming a little spicy with time in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied and soft, with very fine tannins and good freshness, acidity and overall balance; it is approachable and easy to drink. Super! This was the real surprise of the tasting, and I really look forward to tasting the 2013 QS. 45,000 bottles".