Bodegas Lavia Plus+ 2015

The 2015 Plus+ is an aromatic and fresh Monastrell that wants to keep the Mediterranean character without being too ripe or alcoholic. The secret for that is to keep the balance, and even though the wine is 14.5%, it doesn’t show any heat. 2015 seems like a great year for Bullas, and Lavia in particular. It’s elegant and floral, with very fine tannins and focused, precise flavors. Impressive! It matured in 500-liter barrels and 10,000-liter oak vats, which should have helped with the integration of the oak with the wine. This is my favorite of the 2015s I tasted from Lavia, and it’s also the one that shows the most typicity. Drink date: 2019-2023. [Though Luis Guitiérrez has indicated a drink-by date of 2023, this mature 2015 continues to drink well and is giving all indications that it will gracefully reach the decade mark, if not beyond.] Score – 93. (Luis Gutiérrez, robertparker.com, April 30, 2019)