2017 Petalos del Bierzo

Crushed-blackberry, asphalt and blueberry aromas and flavors. Full body. Lots of cracked black pepper and spice. Chewy finish. Slightly dry now. Needs time to soften. Try after 2021.

2017 was a very unusual year in Bierzo, and here they started harvesting the 21st of August, when they had never started harvesting in August. There are more white grapes in the 2017 Pétalos del Bierzo, almost 10%, not because they wanted to lower the alcohol, because the alcohol was similar to 2016, but because the white grapes achieved perfect ripeness (Ricardo Pérez Palacios told me he's never seen such beautiful white grapes). The wine had been bottled the day before I tasted it, so they also showed me a tank and a barrel sample they had saved for the purpose of comparison. However, the bottled wine, the first produced at their new facilities, was really singing and didn't show any fatigue. The palate was vibrant, with acid strawberry flavors. It is very immediate, approachable, round and juicy, perhaps not with the depth and longevity of the 2014 but really pleasant and drinkable. Because they produce so much of this wine, they can't bottle it all at once, but they are expecting to fill some 340,000 bottles.