’El Portillo’ - Tinto Fino, Garnacha & Valenciano (21)

Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) | uit de 'El Portillo' wijngaard met een paar stokken Garnacha en Valenciano (Bobal) | 1,46 ha. | aangeplant in 1936 door hun overgrootvader | gelegen in La Nava| | oostelijk gelegen, 'Vaso' bush vines | terroir van zanderig klei, met gravel en leem | 50% met de voeten in lagar, 50% hele bessen | vergisting in 5000-liter eikenhouten foudre | rijping voor 12 maanden in 1000+ liter eikenhouten foudres | fraai geparfumeerd | floraal | cederhout | puur en diep | lichte specerijen | donker fruit | cassis | aardse toon | pruimen | peper | kruidnagel | zachte tannine | frisheid en finesse | rode bessen | sappig | goed ondersteunende zuren en levendig intens

Casa Lebai

Het persoonlijke project van de broers Rodrigo en Asier Calvo. Nadat ze zich verdiepen in de generaties lange historie van het familiedomein en de wijngaarden, classificeren ze de wijngaarden op basis van klonen, zones, bodemtype en ligging. Van de 32 wijngaarden, verspreid over 50 hectare in totaal, worden er drie specifiek gekozen vanwege hun leeftijd, bodemstructuur en typiciteit, karakter en persoonlijkheid. Zo uniek dat de broers in 2019 Casa Lebai starten, met deze drie wijngaarden, als individueel project naast het familie-wijngoed. 

Review

The single-vineyard red 2021 El Portillo comes from a 1.46-hectare plot at 829 meters above sea level planted with a field blend of Tinto Fino, Garnacha and Valenciano (Bobal), quite normal in the old times, as this vineyard was planted in 1936. The wine has more of everything—complexity, depth and also elegance and balance—with contained ripeness and 14% alcohol, very good freshness and natural acidity and comes through as fine-boned and elegant. It's floral, perfumed and insinuating, with a lively medium-bodied palate, vibrant flavors and a finish with echoes of acid berries. It matured in a 3,000-liter oak vat for 11 months. 3,000 bottles were filled in September 2022. It's approachable now but should also age. 94/100 Luis Gutiérrez

Casa Lebai is one of the most exciting new names in Ribera del Duero in the last few years. It's the personal project from brothers Rodrigo and Asier Calvo, from a grape-growing and wine-producing family that started their own adventure in 2019. They have three small vineyards that they vinify separately, all from their village of Gumiel del Mercado in the province of Burgos, no more than 4.5 hectares that allow them to produce 13,000 bottles. The white, which I found exceptional in previous vintages, was not ready, so I didn't taste it this time. A name to watch.