2021 Dominio de Pingus Cuvée Amelia

There's only one barrel of the 2021 Amelia, from a plot officially planted in 1895 with what Sisseck calls "the most beautiful massal selection of Tempranillo I have ever seen," some 500 plants from which they selected the cuttings for all the new plantings. It fermented with 50% full clusters and the other half destemmed grapes in a small tank, then was put into an old barrel and then, he told me, was literally "forgotten in the winery." It always ferments with 50% full clusters, "the whole bunch," Sisseck remarked. "It's very different to add the stems without the grapes." The wine is peachy, floral and more perfumed (at least today!), perhaps the refreshing effect of the full clusters. It's spicy and has integrated oak. There's less chalkiness, and the tannins are rounder and softer, with a tender mouthfeel. There are some 240 bottles of this.