Bodegas Teso la Monja Alabaster 2020 75cl

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100% Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo).

Jaargang 2020 kreeg de hoogste score in Guia Penin 2020: 98 punten! 

Van Alabaster wordt verwacht dat het de opvolger van Termanthia zou kunnen worden (de familie EGUREN verkocht Termanthia in 2007 aan Moet & Chandon en startte in hetzelfde jaar een nieuw project: Bodegas Teso la Monja)).
De familie Eguren zet consequent haar traditie van zorgvuldigheid en kwaliteit voort. De druiven worden uitsluitend met de hand geplukt en in kleine dozen verzameld om beschadiging te vermijden. De opbrengst bedraagt 10hl/ha.

16 maanden gerijpt op Frans eiken. Uitsluitend geoogst van druivenstokken van 65 tot 100 jaar oud. Volle aromatische wijn met tonen van pruimen, zwarte bessen, kersen, mineralen, prachtige tannines en een grootse finale.

Uitermate geschikt om op te leggen. Deze wijn zal zich tenminste 20 jaar na botteling nog verder kunnen ontwikkelen.

The Wine Advocate:

"The 2020 Alabaster was produced with Tinta de Toro grapes from 11.5 hectares of ancient ungrafted vines that yielded 1,000 liters per hectare in 2020. The grapes were hand-destemmed and fermented in open tanks for 19 days, followed by malolactic in bottle and 18 months in new French oak barrels. It has 14.99% alcohol and a pH of 3.56. 2020 is a very approachable vintage, a year with finesse, elegance and balance, and this Alabaster is perfumed and floral and feels light on its feet despite the power, concentration and clout. It has a beautiful nose and the new oak is not overpowering despite being noticeable. It should develop nicely and for a very long time in bottle. It has great balance and is one of the finest vintages of Alabaster if not the best... 5,900 bottles were filled in May 2022."

Teso la Monja is the project the Eguren family from Rioja created in Toro after they sold Numanthia to the LVMH group. They produce around 200,000 bottles from old and very old vines. I tasted the wines from 2020, a wet and cooler year with a warm end of the season, but in Toro, there was mildew more than in other regions, as they had rains close to the harvest and the grapes grew. The wines are lighter and a bit fresher with lower pH. They're fruit-driven, quite accessible young and quite direct, despite having a good structure and tannins, but all of it in good balance. They compared 2020 with vintages like 2010 and 2014, good years marked by rain in August that allowed the grapes to ripen fully. The vineyards and vines are certified organic, but they do not show the seal on the bottles.

Luis Gutiérrez Jan 2023