Tintilla Balbaína 2022

The only wine produced with purchased grapes is the red 2022 Tintilla Balbaína, made with the fruit from vines in the Calderín del Obispo plot within Pago Balbaína. It fermented with 60% full clusters in stainless steel and open-top barrels for 30 days and matured in six-year-old barrels for 12 months. It's surprisingly fresh and elegant for the warm, dry and ripe year. The wine does not have any heat; it's from Balbaína, some eight kilometers from the Atlantic, and it always has freshness. It has 13.5% alcohol with 5.06 grams of acidity. It has a combination of floral notes, an earthy hint, a touch of cured meat and some red berries. The palate is dominated by the red berries, some spices and the chalkiness from the limestone. This is very clean, elegant and balanced. 3,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in September 2023.

The flint, blackberry, brambleberry and chalk on the nose is enticing. Some spices, such as cloves and black pepper. It’s medium- to full-bodied with plenty of dark fruit and a firm, energetic finish. Lots of black fruit at the end. Drink now or hold.