2013 Las Beatas, Telmo Rodríguez, Rioja, Spain

Product: 20138005481

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Description

The nose reminded me of wet chalk straight away, a fine and subtle minerality, slowly opening up to aromas of violets and lavender. It had hints of pollen and honey wax, perfumed but in a subtle way. It is perhaps a little more austere and reticent than previous vintages that were warmer and drier. There is a big difference in the acidity that provides for an effervescent texture, with a terse sensation, with tension and a tasty finish with notes of acid berries. This feels like a real triumph over the conditions of the vintage, and a year that should evolve nicely in bottle.
Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate. 31st August 2016.

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Critics reviews

Wine Advocate98/100

The real test for the newish top cuve was to see its behavior in a more challenging vintage. I had tasted the 2013 Las Beatas from the oak vat in my previous visit and didn't find it that bad. The field blend of this old terraced vineyard includes Tempranillo, Graciano, Garnacha, Garnacha Blanca and other grapes, as it was the norm in the old times. It fermented in 1,000- and 3,000-liter oak vats and matured in 1,200-liter oak foudres in an old cellar, located in the village of Ollauri, following the strictest tradition for some 15 months. The nose reminded me of wet chalk straight away, a fine and subtle minerality, slowly opening up to aromas of violets and lavender. It had hints of pollen and honey wax, perfumed but in a subtle way. It is perhaps a little more austere and reticent than previous vintages that were warmer and drier. There is a big difference in the acidity that provides for an effervescent texture, with a terse sensation, with tension and a tasty finish with notes of acid berries. This feels like a real triumph over the conditions of the vintage, and a year that should evolve nicely in bottle. This is a scarce wine, with some 1,500 bottles filled in April 2015. We also did a mini-vertical from 2011 to 2014 to follow up on the evolution, comparing the four different vintages bottled until now. They are evolving at a glacial pace; the four vintages show different, but there is a common character. 2014 is obviously too young (it was bottled a few weeks before I tasted it) and it has the puppy fat covering the chalky tannins, and seems more in line with the 2011, while the 2013 feels closer to 2012.
Luis Gutirrez - 31/08/2016 Read more

About this WINE

Telmo Rodriguez

Telmo Rodriguez is one of the great Spanish winemakers. He travelled and learnt for many years before returning home to Rioja. In addition, he supervises négociant projects throughout Spain. One of his most acclaimed projects is in Ribera del Duero.

The charismatic Telmo has something of the prodigal about him, having now returned to his Riojan homestead to energise the great house of Remelluri. One should not overlook, however, his other properties, which explore some of the lesser-known areas of Spain and in each case seek to make superlative and characterful wines. Ribera del Duero is far from a lesser-known area, so it is to Telmo’s great credit, but to no-one’s surprise, that the wines he makes at Matallana are amongst the very best here too.

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Tempranillo/Tinto Fino

A high quality red wine grape that is grown all over Spain except in the hot South - it is known as Tinto Fino in Ribera del Duero, Cencibel in La Mancha and Valdepenas and Ull de Llebre in Catalonia. Its spiritual home is in Rioja and Navarra where it constitutes around 70% of most red blends.

Tempranillo-based wines tend to have a spicy, herbal, tobacco-like character accompanied by ripe strawberry and red cherry fruits. It produces fresh, vibrantly fruit driven "jovenes" meant for drinking young. However Tempranillo really comes into its own when oak aged, as with the top Riojas where its flavours seem to harmonise perfectly with both French and American oak, producing rich, powerful and concentrated wines which can be extraordinarily long-lived.

In Ribera del Duero it generally sees less oak - the exception being Vega Sicilia where it is blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and then aged for an astonishing 7 years in oak and is unquestionably one of the world`s greatest wines.