Mancuso

The 2021 Mancuso was produced with Garnacha from four rented plots and two they own, all around 60-year-old vines on slate, clay and limestone soils, including all the three different ones in the village of Almonacid de la Sierra. It fermented with part of full clusters, and 65% of the volume matured in concrete and the rest in 500-liter barrels. It has notes of aromatic herbs, thyme, rosemary, lavender, crunchy berry fruit, and it has a medium-bodied palate and fine tannins. 2021 was an excellent vintage, with good ripeness, contained alcohol and very healthy grapes, and the resulting wine has 13.5% alcohol, with a pH of 3.39 and 5.8 grams of acidity. The wines from the zone have never had acidity and freshness like these, but it keeps the character of the zone, with some cherries in liqueur with herbal finesse, precise and elegant. 6,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in August 2023.

The pure Garnacha 2020 Mancuso was produced with the grapes from four rented plots of 60-year-old vines on slate, clay and limestone soils in the village of Almonacid de la Sierra. It's floral, perfumed, elegant and fresh, keeping the poise without losing clout. They harvested earlier, and it fermented with 50% or more full clusters that were foot trodden and matured 65% in concrete and the rest in used 500-liter French oak barrels for 18 months. They managed to keep the alcohol at 14% while keeping a low pH that denotes freshness. The grapes developed lots of aromas and flavors, and the wine shows it. The nose is open and expressive, and the palate is medium to full-bodied, with fine-grained tannins, good grip and a sharper profile than in past vintages. 6,000 bottles were filled in August 2022.

The 2019 Mancuso was produced with head-pruned and dry-farmed Garnacha grapes that are over 60 years old and comes from three plots: one on slate soils, one on clay, stones and sand and one on clay and limestone. It fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured mostly in underground concrete vats, with part of the volume aged in 500-liter oak barrels. There is a complex nose of flowers, herbs and spices with a Mediterranean twist of esparto grass, turning more floral with time in the glass, more and more perfumed. It's medium to full-bodied with fine-grained tannins and a long, dry finish. This is better than the 2018; there's more freshness and finesse. Beautiful. 7,000 bottles were filled in September 2021.

New wine. Mid crimson. Sturdier than the most fashionable Spanish Garnachas. Masses of impact! This is more Châteauneuf than Gredos but it's great value. Jewelly sweet fruit but with enough tannin and acidity to keep it appetising. Really very exciting indeed – not least because there is a bit of evolution as well as this great fruit. Navascués strikes again! Beautifully rich yet composed for current drinking. VGV - Very Good Value.