2018 Dominio del Águila "Pícaro" Tinto

I tasted two vintages of the entry-level red, of which the young 2018 Pícaro del Águila Tinto had just been bottled and should be released soon. This is their most approachable red, and it has the depth, concentration and nuance of the best wines from many wineries. It's produced in a more jovial style, but the wine comes from old vines that always have a field blend with small percentages of whatever grapes that are all fermented together, and these vines always produce a serious and deep wine. In 2018, it matured in French oak barrels for 11 months. This is very young and tender, expressive and aromatic, very much in line with the 2016. It has lots of energy and power, more than you might think, and it's serious. It's drinkable now, but it should get even better with some time in bottle. (LG) (12/2019)

The 2018 Pícaro Del Águila is another Tempranillo based wine combined with a 5% field blend. Functioning as the entry level wine of the estate, it's all destemmed and brought up mostly in neutral oak, with around 10-15% in new barrels. Its saturated purple hue is followed by a vividly fresh, pure, yet still ripe and sexy red with loads of red and blue fruits, candied violets, wildflowers, and peppery herb and spice-like nuances. Rich and medium to full-bodied, with plenty of juicy, front end-loaded fruit, it's ideal for drinking over the coming 4-5 years or so. (3/2021)