Bernabeleva Carril del Rey 2021

The 2021 Carril del Rey feels austere and backward, with a shy nose and a little more herbal note, but it has a palate with fine tannins and livelier acidity that make it more vibrant. It fermented with indigenous yeasts and around 80% full clusters, followed by a long maceration but with very careful extraction. It matured in two used 500-liter oak barrels. This vineyard is a south-facing, 4.5-hectare plot that attains higher maturity. It was planted 80 years ago on soft granite slopes at 715 meters in altitude. There is a little plus on the score of this 2021, which indicates it may improve on future tastings, compared with the 2020. 1,100 bottles produced. It was bottled in April 2023. -Luis Gutiérrez.