2022 Descendientes de J. Palacios Corullon Las Lamas

Tank sample. 92% Mencía, 8% white grapes – Jerez (Palomino Fino). Las Lamas is an old-vine (some over 100 years) single vineyard of 1.6 ha. Yield 36.25 hl/ha. 6,930 bottles produced. More clay in the soil has added power and density to this single-vineyard bottling. A great combination of concentrated dark, brambly fruit, dense tannin structure, intense colour and floral aromas. Mineral and fresh on the finish. Very fine Mencía. (AWH)

I love the bottled 2022 Las Lamas, from the 1.6 hectares of vines in seven plots that are all together since they bought the last plot in 2017. Las Lamas behaves better in dry conditions, as it has more clay in the slate soils and retains water better. It was produced with 92% Mencía and up to 8% of white grapes, and the wine shows perfumed, elegant and balanced. It fermented in oak vats with indigenous yeasts and 49 days of maceration and matured in French oak barrels and foudres for eight months. It's aromatic and spicy with notes of rosemary, sage and white pepper, tasty and showy. This is elegant and seems to have the austerity of a very balanced vintage; it's very complete, with a medium-bodied palate, 13.5% alcohol and very stony tannins. 7,107 bottles and some larger formats produced. It was bottled in November 2023.

Tank sample. 92% Mencía, 8% white grapes – Jerez (Palomino Fino). Las Lamas is an old-vine (some over 100 years) single vineyard of 1.6 ha. Yield 36.25 hl/ha. 6,930 bottles produced. More clay in the soil has added power and density to this single-vineyard bottling. A great combination of concentrated dark, brambly fruit, dense tannin structure, intense colour and floral aromas. Mineral and fresh on the finish. Very fine Mencía. (AWH)