San Alejandro Evodia 2021

The 2021 Evodia comes from a cold year with snow, frost and some extreme temperatures (-18 degrees Celsius!) but an average rest of the season, some hail in July(!) and quite a lot of rain in early October, so not a year without challenges. They estimate a 25% decrease in yields, but the grapes picked before the rain delivered fresh wines with good aging potential. This finished at 14.6% alcohol and with good freshness and acidity. It fermented with some 15% full clusters in concrete, and 60% of the volume remained in concrete while the rest was equal parts in used 225-liter barrels and large oak vats for five months. It was a very challenging year, but the result feels great, a cooler and fresher vintage than 2020 and 2022. It’s a fragrant Garnacha, a fruit-driven and juicy effort with super fine tannins and a balanced mouthfeel. Volume has gone down and price has gone up a bit, but the quality has also grown and it’s still a great bargain. Drink date: 2023-2027. Score – 91+. (Luis Gutiérrez, robertparker.com, May 31, 2023)