Somontano: know your vintages

2020

Large ( 18%) drop in production compared to the average figure due to frost issues in the spring and a historically high quantity of white grapes. The resulting wines are showing a wealth of acidity and aromatic potential with the ability to age.

2019

Classified as Excellent due to having a fine balance of ripening paired with a disease-free harvest that was 11% larger than 2018. White wines are showing exceptionally well currently and the vintage appears to have the markings of a classic year.

2018

A more moderate year classified as Very Good. Wines are currently drinking well, especially the reds, but not showing the length needed for longer ageing. This vintage favours drinking in the near term.

2017

A hotter year classified as Excellent. Wines are very much ready to drink and showing well. Despite the heat, wines are generally balanced, but the native varieties such as Garnacha or heat-friendly imports such as Syrah show the best. Great body to the wines and while perhaps not with the overall depth of 2016, these wines will hold up for some time to come.

2016

While classified as Very Good and not Excellent, there are wines in this vintage that lean more towards the lengthy complexity seen further east in Catalonia and southern France. Wines are drinking well now, but in terms of the reds, an older style of heavier cellar work has left some of the wines far too weighty, when it wasn’t necessary.

2015

Classified as a Very Good year as, while there’s good ripeness to the wines, those that are still around are lacking in acidity and starting to fall off. Fruit profile can be rich at times, but there’s a lot of heft to these wines that’s hard to get around.