PS (Pagos Seleccionados)
2020
For the son of a winery worker, Mariano García's rise to head winemaker of Vega Sicilia was transcendent. When another taster was needed for a blind tasting teenaged Mario was randomly pulled into the winemaker's office. Of all the tasters he was the only one to identify the two wines in the tasting that were identical. This gifted taster was immediately put to work and by age 24 he had taken over as winemaker of the legendary estate, a role he held for 30 years. Consequently, the world of...
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Lots of depth here, with ripe blackberries and some nicely baked black cherries, roasted herbs, incense, dark spices, mussels and a balsamic tinge. An admirably fine dollop of tannins on the palate, which are immaculate and juicy, as they thoroughly dunk into the black fruit, melting into a persistent finish that lasts for over a minute. Very impressive.
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The 2021 PS is 100% Tempranillo, primarily sourced from clay soils in La Horra and Aguilera, and was aged for up to 20 months in French barrels. Garnet-red in hue. Cherry and cola notes complement pine and dried flowers against a vanilla and cedar backdrop. It's broad and creamy in the mouth, with a chalky core and a lasting oaky flavor. This tasting occurred just after bottling, but it promises to develop a more nuanced character in the medium term.
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The heady and ripe 2020 PS follows the house style and the profile of the regular Aalto from the same vintage, with slightly higher ripeness, more creaminess and toastier oak. It's predictable and very good at it, with abundant, slightly dusty tannins and some chalkiness in the pungent, intense and oaky finish. It has 15% alcohol and mellow acidity. For fans of oaky and ripe Tempranillo. 35,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in September 2022 after 21 months in new French oak barrels.
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