2016 Pintas

The 2016 Pintas is a field blend from old vines aged for 20 months in 30% new French oak. It comes in at 14% alcohol. When last seen, this was just a tank sample. It's now in the USA. Solid, focused and graceful, this 2016 Pintas adds the concentration of fruit—dry but impressive—that the Pintas Character lacks, relatively speaking. The power is greater, although not by a lot, and the mouthfeel might be more velvety, but it is that concentration of fruit that makes this a lot more special. It doesn't have that tightly wound feel I like to see, but as time goes on, expect this to become even more graceful, showing even more finesse. We'll see in time how high the ceiling is here—but this certainly still has the ability to improve notably in the cellar. You can approach this now, but giving it a few more years will certainly help it acquire more complexity and harmony. It is surprisingly gentle at times, though, even now.