2021 Casa Castillo La Tendida

"2021 was also an exceptional vintage at Casa Castillo, quite similar to 2020. There's a little more concentration here compared with 2020, a balanced and textured year; 2021 is a little more varietal, classical Jumilla and Casa Castillo, powerful and elegant. In cold years, he uses more full clusters, and in warm ones, he uses less; in 2021 he used a little less than in 2020, as the summer of 2021 was slightly warmer than in 2020. All their vineyards and wines are certified organic. The 2021 La Tendida is the second vintage of this wine from young vines planted between 2006 and 2010 in an area where they are going to keep growing as they transition from the valley to more limestone-rich soils in other parts of the property. It was produced with 75% Monastrell and 25% Garnacha and matured in oak foudre. It has an elegant rusticity compared with Las Gravas or Pie Franco bottlings, with a combination of herbs, flowers, earth and tree bark, with very fine tannins and a chalky finish. It has ripeness, power, elegance and balance. 40,000 bottles were produced. It was bottled in February/March 2023. Drink 2023-2029."

"The 2020 La Tendida is a new wine from 85% Monastrell from younger vines in the paraje (lieu-dit) La Tendida within the property and 15% Garnacha from seven-year-old plants on a north-facing slope on sandy limestone soils covered in gravel in 2020. Here, they changed the concept, prioritizing location of the vines instead of age, so they used younger vines but from better soils. So, this is a different wine from the Vino de Finca, and some of the old vines that had been used for the Vino de Finca go back to the basic Monastrell instead of coming here. Like most wines in this pure Mediterranean vintage, it fermented with 25% to 30% full clusters and indigenous yeast in underground stone pools with a short to medium maceration and temperatures up to 32 degrees Celsius. The wine spent 12 months in a combination of 500-liter barrels and 5,000-liter oak vats. Most wines in 2020 are around 14.5% alcohol and have a medium pH of 3.55 and mellow acidity (4.85 grams, measured in tartaric acid per liter). It's young and tender but more elegant, subtle but nuanced and very precise. The wine is medium-bodied, the tannins are very fine and there is a sensation of fragility but with energy and strength, a red with light. Very Casa Castillo. 40,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2022."