Telmo Rodríguez Lanzaga 2018

The Rioja red 2018 Lanzaga comes from a very wet year with more than 600 liters of rain, but it had a dry October, which helped to fight mildew. They harvested between the 8th of October and 1st of November. It’s a blend from their 15 to 20 hectares of organically farmed vines, all head-pruned on slopes rich in clay and limestone, mixing red and white soils, some places with more sandstone, others with more marl, looking for complexity. It fermented in 6,000-liter concrete vats with indigenous yeasts and matured in 1,500- and 2,500-liter oak foudres and 225-liter barrels for 14 months. It’s floral and expressive, subtle and cold. This could very well be the best value in the portfolio. The wine has gobsmacking subtleness and elegance combined with power, definition and precision. Superb! Drink date: 2022-2030. Score – 95. (Luis Gutiérrez, robertparker.com, July 14, 2022)