2016 El Nido Clio

The 2016 Clio is a blend of 70% Monastrell and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon that hits the scale at 16% alcohol, after a two-week fermentation in small vats with neutral yeasts. Fermentation finished in French and American oak barrels where the wine also underwent malolactic and 23 months' élevage. 2016 is a slightly weaker vintage, and the wine is quite impacted by the élevage, with plenty of spicy and smoky aromas and a lactic touch too. The palate is medium to full-bodied, with plenty of tannin and a finish dominated by oak-related flavors. Wait one more year. 50,000 bottles produced, half of which are destined for the US. It was bottled in September 2018.

Inky purple. Powerful, spice-accented aromas of dark berry liqueur, candied violet, vanilla and smoky minerals, with a building floral topnote. Fresh, expansive and deeply concentrated, offering palate-staining blackberry, cherry-vanilla and mocha flavors that become livelier with air. At once weighty and energetic in style, finishing with outstanding clarity and smooth, steadily building tannins. (raised in new French and American oak barrels for two years)