Artadi Quintanilla 2016

From a 1950-planted plot in Elvillar de Álava, this old-vine Tempranillo grows on calcareous soils that leave their mark clearly. Dried rosemary, thyme, plum and blueberry on the nose, with a balsamic thread running underneath. Chalky and lean at entry, the texture is loose-knit and gradually unfolds rather than opening all at once. The 2016 vintage's cooler character is written all over it, tightly-knit, still carrying a reductive edge, with the structural components yet to fully integrate. Patience is required here. Revisit in three to five years.