Ribera del Duero 'Malleolus'

Score

93

"The 2017 Malleolus is also pure Tempranillo, in this case from small parcels (in Spanish majuelo and in Latin malleolus) of vines aged between 25 and 75 years of age. Yields were reduced by 50% in 2017, so it's a very unusual vintage. It matured in French oak barrels for 18 months. As I found with the rest of 2017s, this is very expressive, aromatic and fresh, floral, aromatic, happy and expressive, without excess ripening and with fruit in the foreground and the oak neatly folded into the fruit. It's juicy, medium to full-bodied, perhaps not as concentrated as others, but balanced, with fine-grained tannins; it's very pleasant and representative of the grape and zone. Very good for the conditions of the year. 180,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2019."