Bodegas Mauro - 2017 - Mauro VS - 750 ml.

The 2017 VS was cropped from a dry year marked by spring frosts that reduced the yield and resulted in their earliest harvest to date. However, the effect of the frost here was different, as they didn't suffer the big frost of the night of the 28th of April; the frost here was on the 1st of May and was not as severe (-2 degrees Celsius), so the grapes were from the first generation, not the second like in some places in Ribera del Duero. They picked the second week of September to preserve the freshness of the grapes and did a short maceration and soft vinification. It's a selection from two 70-year-old vineyards in the village of Traspinedo and Tudela, and it matured in French oak barrels for 26 months. If 2017 was an atypical year, this is atypical within that: the wine is lighter, more aromatic and open with lots of finesse and elegance. It's very approachable and one of the few VS bottlings that delivers instant gratification. A real triumph for the vintage. Rating : 94+