2018 - Poulosa, Raul Perez (Vizcaina), Bierzo

Saturated garnet. An expansive bouquet evokes ripe red fruits, pungent flowers, allspice and licorice, and a mineral topnote lends urgency. Palate-coating raspberry, bitter cherry and candied lavender flavors deepen and turn sweeter with air. Smoothly blends power and delicacy and finishes very long and focused, with fine-grained tannins adding subtle grip.

La Poulosa is quite regular and ripe, with notes of prunes, and even though there is more freshness in 2018, the 2018 La Vizcaína La Poulosa shows closer to the 2017, keeping the profile of the vineyard, which is very strong. In fact, there is only half a degree difference in alcohol between this 2018 and the 2017. There is more fruit here, and it's juicy and approachable, with integrated oak (they started replacing the 225-liter oak barrels with 500-liter ones), more freshness and a livelier palate. The tannins are round, with no edges, despite the fact that all the La Vizcaína range ferments with 100% full clusters. Some 5,600 bottles produced. It was bottled in April 2020.