2012 1902 Centenary Carignan

To catch up with what's being currently released I also tasted the 2012 1902, a wine from Cariñena vines planted in 1902 that is not produced every year (so far only 2009, 2010 and 2012 exist). After fermenting in stainless steel, the wine matured in brand new French oak barrels for 16 months and was bottled in April 2014. It's still a baby, and it's a little closed and in need of some time in bottle to unfurl all it has inside. There is a combination of violets, scorched earth, spices, Mediterranean herbs, peat and dark cherries. The palate is not as concentrated as you might expect, and it shows great elegance, freshness and balance. It's amazing what old Cariñena can deliver. It should age into a really beautiful swan. These low yielding vines produced 850 numbered bottles in the dry and warm 2012 vintage.