Rioja 'Especial'

Score

96

"There is a new wine, the 2018 Anza Esp 1, produced with grapes from small plots of vineyards that Diego Magaña considers special for whatever reason, three or four plots that always over-deliver. In the old vines, he has different biotypes of Tempranillo and some Graciano, 8% to 10% Viura, and Garnacha from different soils, all fermented in stainless steel and open-top 500-liter oak barrels with some full clusters and matured in used oak for 14 months. The two wines have a similar profile, which is all about finesse and detail, but perhaps this is subtler and a little more mysterious and takes a little longer to show its true colors. There is a little more concentration and clout within the elegant style of the wines (that also follow the profile of the wines from Bierzo), and there is a little more of everything but always in balance. It's textured; it has a fine thread, with a velvety mouthfeel; and there is a little more concentration, more nuance, more depth and more length. It has a combination of power and elegance but with spark, and it's symmetric and precise, like a laser cut. This is truly superb. Bravo! 2,327 bottles were filled in March 2020."