La Faraona, Descendientes de J. Palacios 2021

The 2021 La Faraona is expressive and aromatic, with notes of Mediterranean herbs and hints of grains and cereals, quite complex, developing notes of star aniseed and fennel. Like all of the 2021s, this is extremely elegant. Ricardo Pérez Palacios told me that they are achieving the balance in the vineyard; the wine is crunchy, and the tannins and the acidity combined give a sense of freshness above what the pH or the pure acidity might suggest. There is a little more juiciness, a little more depth. This is a very extreme vineyard, and in 2021, they did a big selection because it was a challenging year; they harvested over four tries and produced three separate vats, and finally only one was selected. He compared it to the 2015 that has a little more volume and is slightly riper. They only produced two barrels that resulted in 647 bottles, 19 magnums, five double magnums and four Jeroboams. It was bottled in December 2022. Drink 2023-2035.

They harvested the 2021 La Faraona in four different tries, and the result is only two barrels, because the slow ripeness and cold exposure meant the grapes were not ripening and they thinned the crop to leave only the bunches that they thought the plants were going to be able to ripen properly. The vinification was more normal, similar to other years, but the wine has incredible depth and complexity. Despite having similar alcohol to the rest of the 2021s (13.7% in this case), La Faraona feels fuller and rounder, less austere and showier. It's terribly sapid. The very limited volume will mean an incremental increase in price. Drink 2024 - 2035.