Bodegas Gil Berzal 2019 La Vejera

This is the top wine from the bodega. The co-planted plot dates back to 1910, though the vines were mostly planted in 1920. A mere 0.16 hectares, these very old vines are planted atop clay-limestone soil, with pebbles scattered over the bedrock. The 2019 is a blend of Tempranillo and Viura plus other native white grapes, with a ratio somewhere between 60-40% and 50-50%. I translated the following notes on the 2019 vintage from the Berzals' website: "The 2019 vintage began with a dry and warm winter that influenced early budbreak. Spring was rainy but within normal limits, with a cold and rainy May that slowed the phenological stage by 10 days. This benefited the vines in their development. A very hot summer with few intermittent summer storms allowed the vegetative stage to evolve well. August was warm and dry, tempered by rain in mid-September, which was mostly hot. Overall, the summer was characterized by very high temperature contrasts. One of the warmest vintages we can remember, early, sunny, and with low yields, resulting in a wine with body, volume and good structure. Harvest Date: October 6." Perfect cherry fruit, lipstick, anise, wild herbs; I wrote "CRAZY," in all caps along with a bunch of stars to make sure I didn't forget that this indeed drank like the top wine that it is.